Brazil’s former president Bolsonaro charged in 2022 coup attempt

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil Federal police said Thursday they have charged former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people who allegedly attempted a coup to keep him in office after his defeat in the 2022 elections.

Police said their findings will be presented on Thursday to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which must decide whether to refer them to Attorney General Paulo Gonet, who will formally charge Bolsonaro and put him on trial, or dismiss the investigation.

The former right-wing president has denied claims that he tried to cling to power afterward his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to his rival, left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has since faced a series of legal threats.

Police said in a brief statement that the Supreme Court had agreed to release the names of all 37 people charged “to prevent the spread of false news.” It will likely take several days for the court to review the 700-page police document, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said.

Dozens of former and current Bolsonaro aides were also charged, including General Walter Braga Netto, who was his running mate in the 2022 campaign; former army commander General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira; Valdemar Costa Neto, the chairman of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party; and his experienced former advisor, General Augusto Heleno.

The investigation started last year. Four soldiers and a federal police officer on Tuesday were arrested as part of the same investigation.

Other investigations focus on Bolosnaro’s possible role in the… smuggling diamond jewelry entered Brazil without properly declaring it, and by directing an subordinate to falsify his and others’ COVID-19 vaccination status. Bolsonaro has denied any involvement in either.

Another investigation showed that he had done so abused his authority to sow doubt about the country’s voting system, and judges have banned him from running for re-election until 2030.

The far-reaching investigations have weakened Bolsonaro’s status as leader of Brazil’s right wing, said Carlos Melo, a professor of political science at Insper University in Sao Paulo.

“Bolsonaro should already be banned from running in the 2026 elections,” Melo told The Associated Press.

“And if he is convicted, he could also face prison time at that time. To avoid ending up behind bars, he will have to convince Supreme Court justices that he has nothing to do with a plot involving dozens of his tools. That is quite a task,” says Melo.

On Tuesday, the federal police arrested four soldiers and a federal police officer accused of a conspiracy to overthrow the government after the 2022 elections, including alleged plans to assassinate Lula and other top officials.