Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in front of his home before testifying at the Federal Police in Brasilia, Brazil.
Image: Reuters
After his defeat in the 2022 presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro did not want to recognize the election results. Senior military officers are now testifying against him in court: Bolsonaro is said to have planned a coup attempt.
In the investigations into suspected coup plots following Jair Bolsonaro's election defeat, several high-ranking military officials have weighed heavily on the former Brazilian president. The federal police accuse the former right-wing head of state and his allies of preparing a coup in order to stay in power after the election defeat in October 2022 against the current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Bolsonaro discussed the draft of a coup decree at a meeting with military representatives, the then army chief Freire Gomes said in his interrogation. The witness statements were made public by the Supreme Court on Friday. The draft therefore envisaged declaring a case of defense and having the legality of the elections checked. Gomes then told Bolsonaro that he would have to have him arrested if he made such an attempt, said then air force commander Carlos de Almeida Baptista Júnior in his interrogation.
Former naval commander Almir Garnier, however, did not comment on the meetings. According to Bolsonaro's aide Mauro Cid, he is said to have sympathized with the plans for a coup and offered troops for a possible coup.
Bolsonaro was defeated by the left-wing politician Lula in the runoff election for the presidency in October 2022. He repeatedly cast doubts on the Brazilian electoral system, without providing any concrete evidence. On January 8, 2023, supporters of the ex-military who did not want to recognize Lula's election victory stormed Congress, the seat of government and the Supreme Court in Brasília and caused considerable damage.
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