According to recently released legal documents, two ex-military leaders informed the police that Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, proposed a plan to stage a coup d’état following his loss in the October 2022 election.
Former army commander, Marco Antônio Freire Gomes, and former air force commander, Carlos Baptista Júnior, publicly stated on Friday that Bolsonaro had multiple meetings in December 2022 where he shared a document that could potentially be used to overturn the election results, in which he was defeated by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The two military officers stated that they attempted to discourage him. The supreme court publicly shared their statements, which is the first acknowledgment of Bolsonaro’s active attempts to retain his position.
Their statements make matters more difficult for Bolsonaro in terms of his legal position, as they implicate him in the supposed conspiracy to maintain his position as a far-right populist leader.
Before the election, Bolsonaro consistently questioned the credibility of Brazil’s voting system and never officially accepted Lula’s victory, but he has always refuted any claims of a coup being planned.
During a recent protest, he stated, “What exactly is a coup? It involves tanks on the streets, weapons, and conspiracy. However, none of these elements were present in Brazil.”
In light of Freire Gomes’ statement, following Bolsonaro’s defeat in the election, in meetings called upon, the unsuccessful leader proposed to military officials several purportedly legitimate ways to overturn the results, such as invoking a state of emergency.
Freire Gomes informed the authorities that he cautioned Bolsonaro that the military would not permit any attempts to undermine institutional integrity, and that such behavior could lead to his apprehension.
Per the official documents from the federal police, Baptista Júnior stated that he attempted to convince Bolsonaro against taking any extreme actions. He also mentioned that he believed Freire Gomes played a key role in preventing the use of the legal document. Despite this, the ex-air force commander noted that Almir Garnier, who was then the navy commander, informed Bolsonaro that he could utilize his troops if needed.
The federal police document stated that Baptista Jr alleged that if Commander Freire Gomes had given his approval, there may have been a coup d’etat attempt.
Bolsonaro did not approve a planned decree that would have implemented a state of emergency, but eight days after Lula took office on January 1, 2023, thousands of his followers stormed Brasília, the capital, in an effort to overthrow the new regime.
Over 1,400 individuals have been accused of participating in the rebellion, and 131 people have currently received judgments.
Police questioned Freire Gomes and Baptista Júnior in the past few weeks as part of a probe into an alleged plot to undermine Brazil’s voting system and orchestrate a military overthrow in order to maintain Bolsonaro’s control. The statements of 25 additional suspects and witnesses were also released on Friday.
Bolsonaro has given up his passport during the ongoing investigation and is prohibited from traveling outside of the country or having contact with other individuals involved, including his previous cabinet members and closest associates.
The generals’ statements suggest the investigation closing in on Bolsonaro, who has separately been banned from running for political office until 2030 over his spread of disinformation during the 2022 election campaign.
Source: theguardian.com
