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2022–2023 Brazilian coup plot

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2022–2023 Brazilian coup plot
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During and after the 2022 Brazilian presidential election, a network of members of former president Jair Bolsonaro's government and of the Brazilian Armed Forces planned to subvert the transition of power to newly elected president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, arrest Supreme Federal Court (STF) justice Alexandre de Moraes and Rodrigo Pacheco (the president of the Federal Senate), and shut down several government institutions, such as the National Congress, the Superior Electoral Court and the STF, in an attempt to keep Bolsonaro in power and consolidate his control over the federal government.[1][2] The plans, evidence, and individuals involved in planning a coup d'état were gradually revealed in investigations conducted by public agencies and the press in 2023 and 2024.[3][4]

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Jair Bolsonaro and military authorities in December 2020

After the 8 January Brasília attacks, more than 1,400 people were charged for their alleged role in the riots.[5] Valdemar Costa Neto, head of the Liberal Party, and three aides to Bolsonaro were arrested on 8 February 2024.[6][7] On 21 November 2024, the Federal Police formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 people of an attempt to overthrow Brazil's democratic institutions, including a plot to assassinate Lula, Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Moraes.[8] On 14 December 2024, Bolsonaro's 2022 running mate and former Chief of Staff, Walter Braga Netto, was arrested.[9] Braga Netto, who was also a former general in the Brazilian Army, was considered a prominent figure in the coup plot.[9] On 18 February 2025, Attorney General Paulo Gonet formally indicted Bolsonaro and 34 others for an attempted coup d'état. On 26 March, the Supreme Court accepted the Attorney General's complaint and considered Bolsonaro and seven other allies as defendants in the case.[10]

The trial took place between 2 and 11 September 2025 before the First Panel of the Supreme Federal Court and resulted in the conviction of all the defendants, with Jair Bolsonaro being sentenced to 27 years and 3 months in prison.[11]

Beginning in July 2025, the Trump administration in the United States began openly clashing with Brazilian authorities, claiming Bolsonaro was the victim of a witch hunt without providing any evidence. As a result, the US imposed a 50% tariff on all Brazilian imports, revoked the visas of eight Brazilian Supreme Court justices, and applied the Magnitsky Act against Moraes.[12][13][14] In response, Brazil's president Lula published an article in The New York Times saying that he wants to "establish an open and frank dialogue with the president of the United States", but stated that "Brazilian democracy and sovereignty are non-negotiable".[15]

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Context

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Civilian–military relations in Brazil

The relationship between the Armed Forces and politics in Brazil has been a significant aspect of the country's history. Since the proclamation of the Republic in 1889, the military has played an important role in political affairs, including direct intervention during the military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. Even after the democratic transition, the Armed Forces have continued to exert influence in national debates, often presenting themselves as guarantors of stability and order.[16]

In the 21st century, the military's role in politics resurfaced with greater intensity during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro (2019–2022), a former army captain who appointed a large number of active and retired military officers to government positions. This development renewed discussions about the politicization of the Armed Forces and their place within Brazil's democratic framework.[17][18]

Fake news and attempts to discredit the electoral system

Fake news was an element with special prominence in the elections in Brazil in 2014, 2018 and 2022, and was used by various actors with the objective of convincing and manipulating the electors and their votes.[19][20] Although fake news is not a new phenomenon, widespread access to digital communication tools and the ease with which messages were massively spread gave false information, in 2022, a leading role in electoral debates and were the focus of containment actions by courts, legislators and media companies.[21][22]

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Evidence and proof

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2022–2023 Brazilian election protests

This section is an excerpt from 2022–2023 Brazilian election protests.[edit]
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Truckers protesting against the result of the 2022 presidential elections in the BR-381, Timóteo, Minas Gerais

The 2022–2023 Brazilian election protests began shortly after the conclusion of the 2022 Brazilian general election's second round on 30 October, in which Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected president, which led to mass protests and roadblocks nationwide.[23][24][25] Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, who are frequently referred to in media accounts as "Bolsonaristas", alleging election fraud, began blocking roads and highways in the country.[26][27] At least 23 Brazilian states, plus the Federal District, recorded roadblocks as of 1 November, adding up to at least 267 roadblocks according to data from Federal Highway Police (PRF).[23]

The protesters have in common the rejection of the election result, allegation of frauds and call for a coup or a federal or military intervention[28] to reassess the elections results and even to prevent the president inauguration,[29][30] which affronts the Brazilian Constitution.[31] These blockades have been widely criticized by entities, politicians,[32] and authorities due to the fact that they have caused disruptions to the food supply, paralysis of the supply of products such as fuel and medicines, impediment of the citizen's right to transit, cancellation of flights, crashes, and deaths.[33] They have also been called attacks against democracy, as they contest the electoral process and its legitimacy.[34][35][36] The protests have since been characterized as domestic terrorism by part of the Brazilian media.[37][38]

On 8 January 2023, pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators stormed the Praça dos Três Poderes,[39][40][41] assaulting the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate halls of the National Congress of Brazil,[42][43][44] the Supreme Federal Court palace and the Palácio do Planalto in an attempt to overthrow the Federal Government.[45] The insurrection failed and the Praça was cleared by law enforcement after a few hours; several thousand Bolsonaro supporters were arrested following the event.[46]
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Protest in front of the Brazilian Army barracks in Ilhéus, Bahia
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Protesters storming the National Congress of Brazil during the 8 January Brasília attacks

"Coup draft"

The Federal Police found a draft announcement of a coup in a search of former justice minister Anderson Torres's home. The document outlined a plan to implement a state of defense (estado de defesa)[a] that would annul the 2022 election results. It also leveled a series of accusations, such as abuse of power and lack of impartiality,[b] against the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), which had been investigating Bolsonaro and his allies while he was in office.[47]

Anderson Torres's testimony

Upon his return to Brazil, Anderson Torres was arrested[48] and detained for four months while Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes investigated his role in the riots.[c][49]

In his testimony to the Federal Police on 2 February 2023, Torres sought to dismiss the coup draft found in his residence as a document "without legal viability", disposable, according to him. He also stated that it was not he who had placed the draft decree in a folder on his shelf, and that he believed his domestic worker had done so while house cleaning. Torres reaffirmed that he had not drafted the document and did not know who did.[50]

To the accusation of negligence or complicity with the 2022–2023 Brazilian election protests that culminated in the attack on Congress on 8 January, Torres, who took office on 2 January as head of security for the Federal District,[51] claimed he had fulfilled all necessary verification and security measures, relying on reports that did not foresee radical actions by Bolsonaro supporters. Since he thought he had fulfilled his duties, he said, he deemed it appropriate to proceed with a planned family trip to the United States, where he stayed in Orlando, the same city as Bolsonaro, with whom he said he had not met nor coordinated his plans.[50]

Ricardo Cappelli, the intervenor Lula put in charge of Brasília's public security after the riots, called 8 January "a structured sabotage operation" adding:[51]

Torres took over as secretary for security (in Brasília), dismissed the whole chain of command and then took a trip. If that's not sabotage, I don't know what is.[51]

Anderson Torres's cellphone

Regarding the whereabouts of his phone, Torres claimed to have turned it off after his arrest was ordered, due to the number of calls he received, and lost it shortly afterward. He said he did not know where it was but he said he had not left it in the United States. Torres offered to provide the password to his cloud storage account.[50]

Marcos do Val's account

On 15 June 2023, the Federal Police, authorized by Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, searched residences linked to Senator Marcos do Val, who was investigated for obstructing investigations of the 8 January coup attempt in Brasília.[52] The senator's Twitter account was also blocked.[53]

O Globo had access to the federal police report, revealing that do Val had boasted in a number of WhatsApp groups that he had the fate of two presidents of the republic in his hands: "I have a bomb in hand to destroy Bolsonaro and another one to destroy Lula."[54] He also said he was responsible for Bolsonaro taking refuge in the United States after he lost the 2022 election: "I was invited by him [Bolsonaro] to do this. As member of CCAI [Mixed Intelligence Activities Control Commission], I started to wind it up to see how far it would go. When it was about to happen, I informed him that he would be committing a very serious crime against democracy and, from there, I reported it to the responsible authority. It was because of this that he fled to the USA."[54]

Do Val returned to the Senate on 3 August 2023.[55]

Ailton Gomes's audio recordings

Audio recordings from 15 December 2022, of former major and Liberal Party (PL) candidate, Ailton Gomes, record instructions to then-Army Commander Freire Gomes to do "(...) o que tem que fazer" (what needs to be done), setting the deadline for the following day for him to make a statement in support of the coup; otherwise, it added, the statement would come from Jair Bolsonaro.[1]

Bolsonaro's coup meetings

In a statement proferred as part of a plea deal approved by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, Mauro Cid stated that Jair Bolsonaro met with the commanders of the Armed Forces' three branches to assess the possibility of carrying out a coup, whose draft declaration had been prepared by his advisors, with the purpose of preventing the change of government.[56] The draft was allegedly delivered by Filipe Martins, advisor for international affairs.[57] Its content anticipated the arrest of political opponents and justice Alexandre de Moraes.[58]

The plan was allegedly accepted by the commander of the Brazilian Navy, Admiral Almir Garnier Santos. However, General Marco Antônio Freire Gomes of the Brazilian Army reportedly refused to participate, leading to abandonment. Bolsonaro's defense team has said that the statements are slanderous.[59][60][61][62][63][64]

In addition to the military, Cid would have said that Bolsonaro received, in meetings at the presidential palace, various people with coup plans that involved, among other things, using a misinterpretation of article 142 of the Federal Constitution to entrust the armed forces with exercising the moderating power. Warned about the risks, the then-president would have assumed the sad expression that marked his first public appearance after the end of the elections.[65]

Reactions

The discovery of the draft caused widespread repercussions in Brazilian politics, society, and judiciary. Jurists debated the inherent illegality of possessing of such a document, regardless of its use or the success of its use.[47] Senator Randolfe Rodrigues called for an inquiry by the Supreme Federal Court into the "attempted coup d'état".[47]

During the media uproar that occurred after the draft's discovery, Torres said on social media that the draft was "most likely" a document that was meant to be discarded and shredded by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. According to him, the draft was taken without his knowledge and used out of context, fueling "false narratives" against him.[47] Conversely, his lawyers said that the draft had been handed to him by a "citizen", a narrative inconsistent with internal evidence within the document, clearly written by someone very closely following events.[66]

Jair Bolsonaro's defense team moved to exclude the document from a parallel investigation of his attempt to discredit the electoral system. This investigation arose from a speech against the Superior Electoral Court, delivered at a meeting with ambassadors in 2022. The request was denied, and the document remained part of the evidence.[67]

On 30 June 2023, a majority at the Superior Electoral Court declared Jair Bolsonaro ineligible to hold political power until 2030 for his abuse and misuse of communication media during this meeting.[68]

Investigation

The Federal Police conducted several forensic examinations and investigations regarding the document to trace its circulation among government authorities, among other purposes. According to information gathered by investigators, the draft reached Bolsonaro's aides, as well as members of his reelection committee.[69] An analysis of the various fingerprints found on the document was carried out by the Federal Police.[70] Efforts were made to trace the printer that originated the document via documentology, mainly aiming to verify whether the draft originated from a public agency. The forensic technique in use is only effective for tracing medium or large sized printers, and is less accurate for consumer printers.[71]

Operation Tempus Veritatis

Main article: Operation Tempus Veritatis

On 8 February 2024, the Federal Police executed thirty-three search and seizure warrants and four preventive detention warrants in Operation Tempus Veritatis ("time of truth", in Latin). Former special advisor to Bolsonaro, Filipe G. Martins, retired colonel Marcelo Câmara, and major Rafael Martins were arrested. The targets of the search and seizure measures included the president of the Liberal Party, Valdemar Costa Neto, generals Braga Netto, Augusto Heleno, and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, Admiral Almir Garnier Santos, former minister Anderson Torres, and Bolsonaro himself, who had his passport seized.[72][73]

The following day, on February 9, 2024, a video from a meeting held on July 5, 2022 involving Bolsonaro and constituant ministers was released. President Bolsonaro was recorded instructing ministers on the need to act before the elections to avoid a possible "guerrilla" war in Brazil. The video, found on Mauro Cid's computer, was released by journalist Bela Megale, of the newspaper O Globo. Bolsonaro allegedly ordered the dissemination of fraudulent information to try to reverse the situation in the electoral dispute, alleging supposed electoral frauds that were never proven. The meeting also involved other ministers, including the serving minister of defense, who reportedly stated that the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) was an "enemy" of the Bolsonarist group. The recording is part of an investigation into an attempted coup involving military personnel and former ministers.[74][75]

During the same meeting, the minister of the Institutional Security Bureau (GSI), General Augusto Heleno, expressed the intention to infiltrate agents from the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) into both Bolsonaro's and Lula da Silva's electoral campaigns. Heleno mentioned the importance of acting before the elections as to avoid possible upheavals, using terms such as "turning the table" and highlighting the need for decisive action before the ballot. President Bolsonaro interrupted Heleno to express concern about leaks and suggested that such matters be discussed in a private meeting.[76]

Operation Counter-coup

Main article: Operation Counter-coup

On 19 November 2024, the Federal Police launched Operation Counterattack, investigating a plan called "Green and Yellow Dagger", drawn up in 2022 to prevent the inauguration of president-elect Lula da Silva and vice president-elect Alckmin. The plan included the murder of Lula, Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Moraes.[77] Five suspects were arrested, including four Army special forces soldiers – known as "black kids" – and a federal police officer. Notable among the military arrests was the reserve general Mario Fernandes, a former member of the Bolsonaro government and parliamentary adviser to Eduardo Pazuello. The operation also involved searches and seizures, suspension of public functions of those involved and other precautionary measures.[78]

Green and Yellow Dagger plan

The investigation found that the plan relied on detailed military tactics, such as clandestine monitoring and illicit use of public resources. According to the investigation, the "Green and Yellow Dagger" plan — which foresaw the assassination of Lula, Alckmin, and Moraes — began to be elaborated on 12 November 2022, at Braga Netto's home, at the time the defeated vice-presidential candidate on the ticket headed by Jair Bolsonaro.[79] Evidence was recovered from the electronic devices of Colonel Mauro Cid, Jair Bolsonaro's former aide-de-camp. The operation was part of a larger investigation into anti-democratic acts linked to the 2022 elections and the 8 January 2023 attacks, including violations of the rule of law and embezzlement of public assets.[80]

Operation 142

Operation 142 was an action plan devised between November and December 2022 to halt the presidential transition process, prevent Lula da Silva from taking office, annul the 2022 elections and decisions of the Supreme Court (STF), prepare a new vote, extend Bolsonaro's mandate, and replace all members of the Supreme Court. The Federal Police found the operation's planning document at the headquarters of the Liberal Party (PL), on the desk of Colonel Flávio Botelho Peregrino, who was then an aide to Braga Netto. The name of the coup plan refers to the thesis of constitutional military intervention, which misinterprets Article 142 of the 1988 Brazilian Constitution as granting a "moderating power" to the Armed Forces.[81]

Formal accusation by the Federal Police

On 21 November 2024, the Federal Police formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 people for an attempt to overthrow Brazil's democratic institutions, which included planning and ordering the assassination of President-elect Lula, Vice-president-elect Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes in 2022 in order to keep Bolsonaro in power after the legal end of his term.[82][83] Most of the accused are top ranking Brazilian military officers who were appointed to government positions during Bolsonaro's presidency.[8] The report submitted to the Court by the police stated that Bolsonaro had "full knowledge" about an assassination plot against Lula.[84] That same day, Lula acknowledged that he was thankful that an attempt to "poison" him failed.[85]

Arrest of Braga Netto

On 14 December 2024, retired army general Walter Braga Netto, who was also Jair Bolsonario's running mate in the 2022 Brazilian presidential election, was arrested and held in Rio de Janeiro after being accused of hindering an investigation, as well as having a role, in the 2022 coup attempt.[9] Leading up to his arrest, searches were carried out at Braga Netto's residence in Rio de Janeiro and also the home of retired colonel Flavio Botelho Peregrino in Brasília.[9]

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People involved

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Augusto Heleno (left), Jair Bolsonaro (center) and Walter Braga Netto (right) are among the main figures involved in the possible coup d'état attempt.

The Federal Police and the Attoney General identified four organizational groups in the coup plot.[86][87][88]

Group 1: Leadership and Command

  • Jair Bolsonaro, former President of the Republic
  • General Walter Braga Netto, former Minister of Defense and former Chief of Staff
  • Anderson Torres, former Minister of Justice
  • Admiral Almir Garnier, former Commander of the Navy
  • General Augusto Heleno, former Chief Minister of the Institutional Security Office (GSI)
  • General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, former Minister of Defense
  • Alexandre Ramagem, former Head of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, former aide-de-camp to Bolsonaro

Group 2: Management of Operation Actions

  • General Mário Fernandes, former Deputy Secretary of the Presidential Chief of Staff's Office
  • Silvinei Vasques, former Director-General of the Federal Highway Police
  • Filipe Garcia Martins Pereira, former Special Advisor for International Affairs to Bolsonaro
  • Fernando de Sousa Oliveira, former Executive Secretary of the Public Security Secretariat of the Federal District
  • Colonel Marcelo Costa Câmara, former advisor to Jair Bolsonaro
  • Marília Ferreira de Alencar, former Director of Intelligence at the Ministry of Justice

Group 3: Execution of Actions

  • General Estevam Theófilo Gaspar de Oliveira
  • Lieutenant Colonel Hélio Ferreira Lima
  • Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Martins de Oliveira
  • Lieutenant Colonel Rodrigo Bezerra de Azevedo
  • Colonel Bernardo Romão Corrêa Netto
  • Colonel Fabrício Moreira de Bastos
  • Colonel Marcio Nunes de Resende Júnior
  • Lieutenant Colonel Sérgio Cavaliere de Medeiros
  • Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Ferreira de Araújo Júnior
  • Wladimir Matos Soares

Group 4: Production and Dissemination of Disinformation

  • Ailton Gonçalves Moraes Barros
  • Angelo Martins Denicoli
  • Carlos César Moretzsohn Rocha
  • Giancarlo Gomes Rodrigues
  • Guilherme Marques Almeida
  • Marcelo Araújo Bormevet
  • Reginaldo Vieira de Abreu.
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Trial

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Main article: AP 2668

The trial of Group 1 took place between 2 and 11 September 2025 before the First Panel of the Supreme Federal Court. The charges submitted to trial were:

  • Attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law (Article 359-L of the Penal Code)[89]
  • Attempted coup d'état (Article 359-M of the Penal Code)[89]
  • Participation in an armed criminal organization (Article 2 of Law No. 12,850/2013)[90]
  • Qualified damage (Article 163 of the Penal Code)[89]
  • Deterioration of protected heritage property (Article 62 of Law No. 9,605/1998)[91]

The justices presiding over the case voted in the following order:

Justices Alexandre de Moraes, Flávio Dino, Cármen Lúcia and Cristiano Zanin voted for the conviction of Jair Bolsonaro and all the other defendants on every charge brought against them, with Dino voting for lighter sentences for Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, Augusto Heleno, and Alexandre Ramagem, on the grounds that they had a lesser degree of involvement in the scheme.[92][93] Moraes also highlighted the importance of Jair Bolsonaro as the leader of the criminal organization, as well as its cohesion, hierarchy, division of tasks, and unity of purpose.[94][95]

Justice Luiz Fux, in a vote that lasted more than 13 hours, decided to uphold some preliminary objections raised by the defense, such as the Supreme Court's lack of jurisdiction over the case, the First Panel's lack of jurisdiction vis-à-vis the Full Bench, and the violation of the right to defense due to the practice of document-dumping. On this basis, he argued for the annulment of the case. Nevertheless, he voted to uphold the validity of Mauro Cid's plea bargain. He also advocated for suspending the proceedings on all charges against Alexandre Ramagem until the end of his term as congressman. He further held that the crime of Coup d'État automatically absorbs the crime of violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, with the merits to be assessed only in relation to the former. As for the merits, he voted only to convict Mauro Cid and Braga Netto for attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law and to acquit all the other defendants on all charges.[96][97]

In the sentence, the justices took into account the degree of participation of each convicted defendant in each crime, as well as mitigating and aggravating circumstances. Owing to his plea bargain agreement, the justices decided to apply the minimum sanction of two years in an open regime to Mauro Cid. By contrast, due to his leadership role in the criminal organization, Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and 3 months in prison.[98] The justices also declared all the defendants ineligible to run for office for eight years after serving their sentences according to Ficha Limpa (Clean Record Act) and decided to revoke Alexandre Ramagem's congressional mandate, as well as Ramagem and Torres position of delegate in the Federal Police (both are licensed Federal Police officers) according to the rule expressed in the Brazilian constitution. Finally, they sent an official notice to the Superior Military Court so that it may decide on the loss of rank of all the convicted military officers with a prison sentence exceeding 2 years.[99]

More information Defendants, Criminal charges ...
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Amnesty efforts

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Following the convictions of thousands of people in connection with the 8 January 2023 attacks, Bolsonaro supporters and allies began to promote the idea of a broad amnesty. These efforts intensified after the former president himself was convicted in connection with the coup plot. Supporters framed the measure as a form of "national reconciliation" while critics denounced it as an attempt to erase accountability for an attempted coup.[citation needed]

Several potential candidates in the 2026 elections — including former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and the governors Tarcísio de Freitas, Romeu Zema, Ronaldo Caiado, and Ratinho Jr — publicly urged Congress to approve the amnesty. Tarcísio also said that, if elected, he would sign a pardon for Jair Bolsonaro on his first day in office.[100] Caiado claimed Bolsonaro's trial had been "anticipated" by the Court and described amnesty as essential for pacification. Zema likewise accused the Supreme Court of persecuting right-wing figures and suggested that granting amnesty would restore political balance, drawing comparisons with previous pardons in Brazil's history.[citation needed]

The Supreme Court signaled that such a measure would be unconstitutional, stressing that the 1988 Constitution forbids amnesty or pardon for crimes committed by armed groups against the democratic order and citing precedents where similar pardons were struck down.[101]

Legislative history

After Bolsonaro's conviction, his allies began drafting an alternative amnesty proposal that would not be struck down by the Supreme Court and would be accepted by the Senate, where resistance to the measure is stronger. Several alternatives are still under discussion, including the possibility of reducing the carceral sentences of those convicted. On 17 September, the Chamber of Deputies approved, by 311 votes to 163, the fast-track procedure for the amnesty bill.[102]

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Timeline

Military leaders under Bolsonaro

More information Minister of Defense, Commander of the Army ...
Color key
  Commanders who resigned during the military crisis in 2021.
  Commanders who agreed to the coup attempt in 2022.
  Commanders who resisted the coup attempt in 2022.

2021

  • 30 March: A military crisis was triggered when Brazil's highest military officials resigned over what has been described as then-President Jair Bolsonaro's attempts to politicize the armed forces.[citation needed]
  • 7 September: At a demonstration on Paulista Avenue on Independence Day, Bolsonaro called Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes a scoundrel and said he would no longer abide by his decisions. He also said, "I will only leave [the presidency] in prison, dead, or victorious. And I want to tell those scoundrels that I will never be arrested" and that "either the head of this power [the Judiciary] frames his own, or this power will suffer what we do not want".[103]

2022

  • 5 July: Cabinet meeting where Bolsonaro discussed plans for a possible coup d'état and instructed ministers to raise doubts about the electoral process. At the meeting, the Chief Minister of the Institutional Security Bureau, General Augusto Heleno, said: 'If [we] have to turn the tables, it has to be before the elections."[104][105]
  • 18 July: Jair Bolsonaro spreads false information about electronic voting machines and attacks the Electoral Court in a meeting with foreign ambassadors, which was broadcast on TV Brasil and on social media.
  • 30 October: During the second round of the 2022 presidential election police operations were carried out by the Federal Police and the Federal Highway Police. They targeted public transportation vehicles, mainly in the country's Northeast Region, allegedly with the aim of ensuring transportation safety according to their supporters, or delaying the arrival of these vehicles at polling places according to critics.[106] In the evening, Bolsonaro is defeated by Lula in the second round of the elections. Pro-coup demonstrations begin, with roadblocks and camps set up in front of Army barracks.
  • 1 November: More than 44 hours after losing the elections, Jair Bolsonaro made a statement at Planalto Palace. He thanked the people who voted for him and said that "the current popular movements are the result of indignation and a sense of injustice over how the electoral process took place". He also said that he would "continue to abide by the Constitution".[107]
  • 9 November: According to the investigations, General Mario Fernandes drafted and printed inside the Planalto Palace the "Green and Yellow Dagger Plan", which foresaw the assassination of the elected president Lula, the elected vice president Alckmin, and Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Shortly after printing the document, Fernandes headed to the Alvorada Palace.[108]
  • 18 November: General Walter Braga Netto, Bolsonaro's running mate in the elections, addressed the president's supporters at the gates of the Alvorada Palace and said: "Do not lose faith. That is all I can say for now."[109][110]
  • 7 December: According to the investigations, President Jair Bolsonaro held a meeting at the Alvorada Palace with Minister of Defense Paulo Sérgio Nogueira and the commanders of the three Armed Forces, in which he presented a draft decree that provided for the declaration of a State of Defense and a State of Siege, as well as the creation of an "Electoral Regularity Commission". According to testimonies to the Federal Police, the Navy Commander, Admiral Almir Garnier, placed his forces at Bolsonaro's disposal. However, the Army Commander, General Freire Gomes, and the Air Force Commander, Lieutenant-Brigadier Batista Jr., opposed it. Freire Gomes allegedly threatened to arrest Bolsonaro if the plan went forward. Also present at the meeting were Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, Minister of Justice Anderson Torres, and presidential aide Felipe Martins.[111]
  • 9 December: Faced with the refusal of the Army and the Air Force, Bolsonaro met with General Estevam Theóphilo, who headed the Army's Land Operations Command. According to the Federal Police, the general agreed to carry out the Army's actions and lead the ground troops in the coup attempt, provided Bolsonaro signed the decree. Later in the day, Bolsonaro broke his post-defeat silence after losing to Lula and spoke to supporters in front of the Alvorada Palace. On that occasion, he encouraged the coup-driven demonstrations held after the election, made references to the military, and said: "Nothing is lost. The end, only with death. Who decides my future, where I go, is you. Who decides where the Armed Forces go is you."[112]
  • 12 December: The Superior Electoral Court officially certified Lula and Alckmin's victory in the elections. Radical Bolsonaro supporters launched a series of acts of vandalism in Brasília, set fire to cars and buses, and attempted to storm the Federal Police headquarters.[113]
  • 14 December: According to the investigations, in a meeting at the Ministry of Defense headquarters with the presence of the commanders of the three armed forces, Defense Minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira once again presented the text of the coup decree.
  • 15 December: Audio recordings between Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid and Major Ailton Gomes discussing a coup d'état plan and the arrest of authorities. The two discussed trying to convince the Army commander, General Freire Gomes, to join the plan.[114]
  • 16 December: According to the investigations, General Mario Fernandes printed, from inside the Planalto Palace, a draft decree that would establish a Crisis Cabinet to be created following the eventual proclamation of the coup d'état. The Cabinet would be chaired by General Augusto Heleno, with General Braga Netto serving as coordinator.[115][116][117]
  • 24 December: Attempted bomb attack at Brasília International Airport by a group of members of the pro-coup demonstrations.[118]
  • 30 December: One day before the end of his term, Bolsonaro left Brazil and traveled to the United States, where he remained for 90 days. According to subsequent Federal Police investigations, Bolsonaro traveled to the U.S. to avoid arrest and to wait for the outcome of what would become the 8 January attacks.[119]

2023

  • 8 January: Invasion and vandalism of the National Congress, the Planalto Palace (Executive Office) and the Supreme Federal Court by a mob of radical Bolsonaro supporters. Soon after, President Lula decreed a federal intervention in the Public Security of the Federal District, removing former Minister of Justice Anderson Torres from his position as the District's Secretary of Justice.[120]
  • 9 January: Justice Alexandre de Moraes removed the Governor of the Federal District Ibaneis Rocha from office for 90 days. Moraes ruled that the DF government had been complicit in the coup supporters' attack.[121] Moraes also ordered that Bolsonaro supporters' camps in front of the Army barracks be dismantled within 24 hours.[122]
  • 12 January: The Federal Police find the draft of a decree that would establish a "state of defense" to intervene in the Superior Electoral Court and declare Bolsonaro as president-elect in the home of former Minister of Justice Anderson Torres.
  • 14 January: Anderson Torres is arrested.
  • 21 January: President Lula dismissed the Army Commander, General Júlio César de Arruda. The government said the decision was motivated by a loss of confidence in the way the issue of the camps in front of the Army headquarters was handled. In his place, General Tomás Miguel Ribeiro Paiva was appointed.[123]
  • 23 January: Anderson Torres's first testimony to the Federal Police.[66]
  • 2 February: Anderson Torres's second testimony to the Federal Police.[124]
  • 19 April: The Chief Minister of the Institutional Security Bureau, General Gonçalves Dias, resigned after the press released footage showing him inside the Planalto Palace at the time of the 8 January attack.[125]
  • 30 June: By a vote of 5 to 2, the Superior Electoral Court declared former President Jair Bolsonaro ineligible for eight years. The practice of abuse of political power and improper use of the media was recognized during a meeting held at the Palácio da Alvorada with foreign ambassadors on 18 July 2022.
  • 7 September: Jair Bolsonaro's former aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, enters into a plea bargain agreement.

2024

  • 8 February: Operation Tempus Veritatis begins.[126]
  • 9 February: Video is released from the ministries meeting where the coup plan was discussed.[72]
  • 15 March: Former Army commander General Freire Gomes tells the Federal Police that Bolsonaro presented the draft of the intervention decree in the Electoral Court (TSE) to the commanders of the Armed Forces in late 2022.
  • 27 August: The Brazilian Army opened a Military Police Inquiry (IPM) to investigate four military personnel for possible crimes related to the drafting of the "Letter to the Army Commander from Senior Active Officers of the Brazilian Army". This letter, according to investigations by the Federal Police, was used as an instrument of pressure on the then–army commander, General Freire Gomes, to support a coup d'état in 2022.
  • 19 November: Operation Counterattack begins.
  • 21 November: The Federal Police formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 people (Operation Counterattack) for an attempt to overthrow Brazil's democratic institutions, which included planning and ordering the assassination of President Lula, Vice President Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Moraes in 2022 in order to keep Bolsonaro in power after his term would legally end.
  • 14 December: Army General Walter Braga Netto, who was Bolsonaro's running mate in 2022 and a former minister of defense, was arrested by the Federal Police.

2025

  • 18 February: Attorney General Paulo Gonet formally indicted Bolsonaro for leading a criminal organization, an attempted coup d'état, and an attempt to violently abolish the democratic rule of law. Former Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto, former Minister of Institutional Security Augusto Heleno, former Navy Commander Almir Garinier, and 31 other individuals were also indicted.
  • 26 March: The first panel of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) unanimously decides to accept the Attorney General's complaint and consider Jair Bolsonaro and seven other allies as defendants for attempting a coup d'état.[127]
  • 18 May – 2 June: The Supreme Federal Court heard 52 witnesses, both for the defense and the prosecution.[128]
  • 9–10 June: Justice Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur of the case at the Federal Supreme Court, hears the testimonies of whistleblower Mauro Cid and the other 7 defendants from the central nucleus of the coup plot, including former president Jair Bolsonaro.[129][130][131]
  • 7 July: President of the United States Donald Trump wrote a post on Truth Social in defense of former president Bolsonaro. He said Bolsonaro was the target of persecution and the victim of a "witch hunt". Without mentioning Trump, President Lula da Silva said Brazil did not accept 'interference' from anyone.[132][133]
  • 8 July: Justice Alexandre de Moraes extends the deadline to conclude the Federal Police investigation against licensed congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro regarding his activity in the United States with the aim of pressuring the Trump administration to act against the Brazilian institutions and influence the progress of legal proceedings against his father, Jair Bolsonaro.[134][135]
  • 9 July: In a letter to President Lula, President Donald Trump once again defended Bolsonaro and criticized his trial as a "witch hunt". He then announced 50% tariffs on all Brazilian products, effective on 1 August.[136][137][138]
  • 14 July: Attorney General Paulo Gonet presented his closing arguments to the Supreme Court in the case and reiterated the request for the conviction of Jair Bolsonaro and the other seven defendants from the central group of the coup plot. If convicted, Bolsonaro could face up to 43 years in prison.[139]
  • 17 July: Donald Trump sends a letter to Jair Bolsonaro saying again that he is the target of "attacks" from an "unfair system" and that the "trial must stop immediately".[140]
  • 18 July: Former president Bolsonaro was the target of a Federal Police search and seizure operation. The operation was authorized by Justice Alexandre de Moraes. His residence in Brasília, as well as the headquarters of his party, were searched. Moraes also ordered Bolsonaro to wear an ankle monitor and to be confined to his home at night and on weekends. Bolsonaro was also prohibited from using social media, contacting other defendants, and approaching foreign embassies or diplomats.[141][142][143] Right after, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of the visas of 8 of the 11 justices of the Brazilian Supreme Court and their family members, including Moraes.[144]
  • 21 July: Justice Alexandre de Moraes published an order reinforcing the ban on former president Bolsonaro using social media directly or indirectly, which failure to comply with could result in preventive detention.[145] Later that day, Moraes ordered the freezing of all assets and bank accounts of Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro.[146]
  • 30 July: The Trump administration applied the Magnitsky Act against Justice Alexandre de Moraes. In a statement justifying the application of the law, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Moraes "has assumed the responsibility of being judge and jury in an illegal witch hunt against American and Brazilian citizens and companies".[147][148] Soon after, the White House released a statement confirming that President Trump had signed the executive order officially raising tariffs on Brazilian exports to 50%.[149][150]
  • 4 August: Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered house arrest for former president Bolsonaro. In his ruling, Moraes stated that Bolsonaro violated the precautionary measures imposed by using the social media accounts of allies — including his three parliamentary sons — to disseminate messages with "clear content encouraging and instigating attacks on the Supreme Federal Court and overt support for foreign intervention in the Brazilian Judiciary". Moraes also prohibited Bolsonaro from receiving visitors, except for his lawyers, without authorization and from using a cell phone directly or indirectly.[151]
  • 18 August: Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino ruled that laws or court decisions from other countries have no effect in Brazil unless validated by domestic courts. The decision has a direct impact on Brazilian banks restricting operations based on the Magnistky Act.[152] Soon after, the U.S. Embassy in Brazil stated that Alexandre de Moraes is "toxic to all legitimate businesses and individuals seeking access to the United States and its markets" and that "those who provide material support to human rights violators may also be subject to sanctions".[153]
  • 20 August: The Federal Police formally charged former president Bolsonaro and his son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, with coercion of authorities — a form of obstruction of justice — and attempting to abolish the democratic rule of law. Messages, audio recordings, and documents seized from Jair Bolsonaro's cell phone in July were also declassified. One of the documents found was a letter requesting political asylum addressed to President of Argentina Javier Milei.[154][155]
  • 26 August: Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered increased police presence at Jair Bolsonaro's house. The order requires the Federal District Penal Police to monitor Bolsonaro's ankle monitor around the clock and assign a police team "for real-time monitoring of the defendant's home address". Moraes granted the request from the Attorney General, which requested the reinforcement to prevent escape and ensure compliance with precautionary measures.[156][157]
  • 2 September: First day of the trial of Jair Bolsonaro and his allies. Justice Alexandre de Moraes read his report summarizing the case, the evidence, and the arguments from both the prosecution and the defense. The Attorney General Paulo Gonet had two hours for his oral arguments advocating for the conviction of the defendants. The lawyers of Mauro Cid, Alexandre Ramagem, Almir Garnier, and Anderson Torres had one hour each for their oral arguments.[158][159][160][161]
  • 3 September: Second day of the trial. The lawyers of Augusto Heleno, Jair Bolsonaro, Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, and Walter Braga Netto had one hour each for their oral arguments.[162][163]
  • 7 September: At a demonstration on Paulista Avenue on Independence Day, the potential right-wing candidates for the 2026 elections — former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and Governors Tarcísio de Freitas and Romeu Zema — advocated an amnesty for Jair Bolsonaro and those convicted for the 8 January attacks. Tarcísio also said that "no one can stand Alexandre de Moraes's tyranny any more".[164]
  • 9 September: Third day of the trial. Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Flávio Dino voted for the conviction of Jair Bolsonaro and all the other defendants on every charge brought against them, with Dino voting for lighter sentences for Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, Augusto Heleno, and Alexandre Ramagem, on the grounds that they had a lesser degree of involvement in the scheme.[92][93] Commenting on the trial, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Donald Trump was "not afraid to use the economic and military power of the United States of America to protect freedom of speech around the world".[165]
  • 10 September: Fourth day of the trial. Justice Luiz Fux voted only to convict Mauro Cid and Braga Netto for attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law and voted to acquit all the other defendants on all charges.[166]
  • 11 September: Fifth day of the trial. Justices Cármen Lúcia and Cristiano Zanin voted for the conviction of Jair Bolsonaro and all the other defendants on every charge. Soon after, the justices sentenced Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and 3 months in prison.[167] Commenting on the trial, President Donald Trump said he was "surprised" and "very dissatisfied" with Bolsonaro's conviction. He further stated that the proceedings were "very similar" to what they tried to do to him.[168] Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States "will respond accordingly to this witch hunt".[169]
  • 17 September: The Chamber of Deputies approved the fast-track procedure for the amnesty bill for those convicted in the January 8 attacks.[170]
  • 22 September: The Trump administration applied the Magnitsky Act against Viviane Barci de Moraes, wife of Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and against the law firm in which they are both partners.[171] Attorney General Paulo Gonet formally charged Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro with coercion of authorities for lobbying the U.S. government to sanction members of the Brazilian judiciary.[172]
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Summarize
Perspective

Harvard political scientist Steven Levitsky assessed the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro as a milestone of institutional resilience in Brazil, arguing that by holding an authoritarian leader accountable, the country demonstrates a degree of democratic maturity surpassing that of the United States in some respects.[173]

The Economist likewise emphasized the solidity of Brazil's judiciary in the face of external pressures, viewing Washington's application of the Magnitsky Act as excessive and noting that, in contrast to authoritarian trends in other democracies, Brazil offers an example of institutions committed to operating within the rules and upholding the rule of law.[174] At the same time, the magazine portrayed Justice Alexandre de Moraes as "the judge who would rule the internet", recognizing his central role in curbing far-right online speech but cautioning that judicial overreach could erode public trust in Brazil's democracy.[175]

The Washington Post similarly framed Bolsonaro's trial as unprecedented in Brazilian history, noting that for the first time a former president had been brought to justice for an attempted coup and underscoring the judiciary's role in confronting such threats despite diplomatic frictions with the United States.[176]

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Notes

Notes
  1. [a]
    The "state of defense" (estado de defesa) is defined in Article 136 of the Brazilian Constitution and aims to "preserve or promptly re-establish, in restricted and determined places, public order or social peace threatened by serious and imminent institutional instability or affected by major natural disasters".[47]
  2. [b]
    Impartiality: that is, "suspeição", a situation provided for in Brazilian law in which a judge has a "subjective relationship" with any of the parties (i.e. friendship, grievances, debt etc.), and thus must abstain from taking part in the trial. The law also provides for cases of "impedimento": when a judge has an "objective relationship" with any of the parties (i.e. kinship). (see TJDFT)
  3. [c]
    Brazil has a civil law legal system under which judges play an important role in criminal investigations. Brazilian constitution determines that if the accused holds a position in the executive or legislative branches at the time of the accusation, or held one at the time of allegedly committing the acts alleged by the accusation, the court responsible for the trial is the Supreme Federal Court, and not a common court.
  4. [d]
    The Supreme Court ordered the partial suspension of the criminal case against Alexandre Ramagem only with regard to those two crimes allegedly committed after his inauguration as a congressman. These charges will be brought to trial after the end of his term.

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