A journalist attends the trial of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 25 [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]
Brasilia, March 26 (RHC)-- Former President Jair Bolsonaro appeared before Brazil's Supreme Court (STF) on Tuesday to answer for his alleged involvement in an attempted coup d'état after the 2022 elections. The Attorney General's Office accuses him of promoting violent protests, spreading fake news, and conspiring with the military and business sectors to disregard the election results that gave Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva the victory.
The evidence includes Telegram messages in which Bolsonaro instructed supporters and military personnel to reject the elections, as well as documents linking his inner circle to plans to declare a "state of emergency."
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes emphasized that the judicial process seeks to defend democratic institutions against coordinated attacks.
"Democracy will not negotiate with those who tried to destroy it," he declared during the hearing. Meanwhile, thousands of people gathered outside the court with slogans such as "Outa Bolsonaro" and "Never Again," recalling the crimes of the military dictatorship (1964-1985) that still prevent Brazil from healing its historical wounds.
Brazil's Supreme Court (STF), composed of 11 judges with diverse backgrounds but united in their defense of the Constitution, plays a pivotal role in the trial of Jair Bolsonaro.
Figures such as Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur in the case and a symbol of resistance against fake news, and Rosa Weber, the former president of the court, embody a legacy of fighting for transparency in a country marked by the shadow of dictatorship.
The group, made up of eight of the 34 defendants in the case, includes Jair Bolsonaro, former president of the Republic, and seven key figures from his government and military entourage:
Walter Braga Netto, Army general, former minister, and Bolsonaro's running mate in the 2022 elections.
Augusto Heleno, retired general and former Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet.
Alexandre Ramagem, former director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin).
Anderson Torres, former Minister of Justice and former Secretary of Security for the Federal District.
Almir Garnier, former Commander of the Navy.
Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, Army general and former Minister of Defense.
Mauro Cid, a former Bolsonaro aide and key collaborator, is now cooperating with the justice system.
The legal complaint accuses them of coordinating actions to annul the election results, promoting violent protests, and orchestrating a plan with military and business sectors that culminated in the January 8, 2023, attacks on institutional headquarters in Brasília.
The weight of the defendants reveals the infiltration of the Armed Forces into the coup plot. Four of the eight defendants are active-duty or retired military personnel, confirming the worrying militarization of Brazilian politics under Bolsonaro. Augusto Heleno and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, for example, held strategic positions in Defense and Security, from where they allegedly facilitated logistical networks for the protests.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
