By Ana Ionova
On Thursday, Brazilian officials revealed their recommendation for criminal charges against former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro regarding his involvement in a comprehensive scheme to maintain power post his loss in the 2022 presidential election.
These allegations significantly heighten Bolsonaro’s legal challenges and emphasize the extent of what officials characterize as a systematic effort to undermine Brazil’s democratic framework. Bolsonaro faced a narrow defeat against the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist commonly referred to as Lula, yet he asserted that the election was fraudulent.
Brazil’s federal police have recommended that prosecutors file charges against Bolsonaro and around 36 others, including members of his close team, on counts of “violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, coup d’état and criminal organization.”
The police did not disclose specific details regarding Bolsonaro’s actions which prompted their recommendations.
This announcement follows the arrest of four members of an elite military unit, among them a former senior aide to Bolsonaro, who are accused of conspiring to assassinate Lula shortly before his inauguration in January 2023.
Previously, the police have suggested criminal charges against Bolsonaro in two distinct cases: one concerning an attempt to falsify his COVID-19 vaccination certificates and another involving a scheme to steal jewelry gifted to him by foreign officials during his presidency.
Federal prosecutors are now tasked with determining whether to advance charges in any of these instances. Should they proceed, it would mark the first time Bolsonaro confronts criminal charges.
Officials stated that Bolsonaro, along with numerous close aides, ministers, and military leaders, engaged in a conspiracy to overturn the electoral results and obstruct Lula from assuming office in January 2023.
Bolsonaro’s legal representatives have yet to respond to a request for a statement. Bolsonaro has consistently denied any misdeeds, branding the investigation as political persecution.
While Brazilian police can propose recommendations for criminal prosecutions, they do not possess the authority to formally charge Bolsonaro. The nation’s chief federal prosecutor, Paulo Gonet, now faces the decision of whether to initiate charges against Bolsonaro and compel his trial before the Supreme Court.
