Brazil’s Bolsonaro testifies before Supreme Court over alleged coup plan

Ex-president rejects charges; helium and 7 co-accused hazard situation sentences of up to 40 years successful this ‘historic’ trial.

Brazil’s far-right erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro, testifying for the archetypal clip earlier the nation’s Supreme Court, has denied engagement successful an alleged coup crippled to stay successful powerfulness and overturn the 2022 predetermination effect that helium mislaid to existent leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro, 70, and 7 of his adjacent allies were questioned by a sheet of apical judges connected Tuesday arsenic portion of a proceedings implicit allegations that they devised a multi-step strategy to support Bolsonaro successful bureau contempt his decision to Lula.

Bolsonaro and his co-defendants hazard situation sentences of up to 40 years successful a proceedings dubbed “historic” – the archetypal ever for an attempted coup nether a antiauthoritarian authorities successful Brazil.

“That’s not the case, your honour,” Bolsonaro replied connected Tuesday erstwhile asked by Judge Alexandre de Moraes – an arch governmental foe – astir “the truthfulness” of the accusations against him.

“There was ne'er immoderate speech of a coup. A coup is an abominable happening … Brazil couldn’t spell done an acquisition similar that. And determination was ne'er adjacent the anticipation of a coup successful my government,” Bolsonaro claimed.

The crippled lone failed, the complaint expanse says, owed to a wide deficiency of subject backing.

Bolsonaro, a erstwhile subject serviceman himself who has been known to explicit nostalgia for the country’s past subject dictatorship, openly defied Brazil’s judicial strategy during his 2019-2022 word successful office.

On Monday, Bolsonaro’s erstwhile right-hand antheral Mauro Cid – a co-defendant who has turned state’s witnesser – told the tribunal Bolsonaro had “received and read” a draught decree for the declaration of a authorities of emergency.

He past “edited” the document, which would person paved the mode for measures to “redo the election” and besides envisaged the imprisonment of apical personalities including Moraes, said Cid.

Cid besides testified that helium had received currency successful a vino crate from Bolsonaro’s erstwhile moving mate and Defence Minister Walter Braga Netto that investigators accidental was earmarked to concern an cognition by peculiar troops to termination Lula, his Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Moraes.

‘My conscience is clear’

Apart from Cid, the different co-defendants are 4 ex-ministers and the erstwhile heads of Brazil’s navy and quality agency.

Most who person taken the basal truthful acold person rejected the bulk of the accusations successful the complaint sheet. The defendants are lasting proceedings connected 5 counts: attempting to signifier a coup, engagement successful an equipped transgression organisation, attempted convulsive abolition of the antiauthoritarian regularisation of law, aggravated harm and deterioration of listed heritage.

A coup condemnation carries a condemnation of up to 12 years. When combined with the different charges, the accused could beryllium sentenced to up to 40 years down bars.

Two erstwhile service commanders person claimed Bolsonaro hosted a gathering wherever the declaration of a authorities of exigency was discussed arsenic a means of overturning Lula’s predetermination victory.

Bolsonaro has denied each the charges, saying helium is the people of governmental persecution.

He has already been banned successful a abstracted tribunal ruling from moving successful elections until 2030 implicit maltreatment of powerfulness portion successful bureau and casting unfounded doubts connected the country’s physics voting system. However, helium is inactive hoping to tally successful the 2026 statesmanlike elections.

“They person thing to convict me; my conscience is clear,” the erstwhile person told reporters connected Monday.

Almir Garnier, who was Brazilian Navy commandant nether Bolsonaro, denied the erstwhile president had discussed the declaration of a authorities of exigency with subject officials.

He besides denied offering Bolsonaro immoderate Navy troops.

The Supreme Court office successful Brasilia was 1 of the targets of a rioting mob of supporters known arsenic “Bolsonaristas” – who raided authorities buildings successful January 2023 arsenic they urged the subject to oust Lula, an insurrection effort that evoked the supporters of Bolsonaro state United States President Donald Trump connected January 6, 2021.

Bolsonaro was overseas successful Florida astatine the clip of this last-gasp effort to support him successful powerfulness aft the alleged coup readying fizzled. But his opponents person accused him of fomenting the rioting.

Judges volition perceive from 26 different defendants astatine a aboriginal date. The tribunal has already heard from dozens of witnesses successful hearings that began successful mid-May.