Bolsonaro Planned, Acted in, and Oversaw Coup Plot, Says Federal Police
Former President Jair Bolsonaro led the coup plot at the end of 2022, and the democratic rupture was not carried out due to "circumstances beyond his control," according to the Federal Police's final report on the attempted coup. "The evidence obtained during the investigation unequivocally demonstrates that the then-President of the Republic, JAIR MESSIAS BOLSONARO, planned, acted, and directly and effectively controlled the execution of acts carried out by the criminal organization aimed at implementing a coup d'état and abolishing the Democratic Rule of Law—an outcome thwarted by circumstances beyond his control," the report states.
Bolsonaro, declared ineligible by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) until 2030 for attacks and lies about the electoral system, has been indicted this year by the Federal Police in three investigations: the jewelry scandal, the falsification of COVID-19 vaccination certificates, and now, the coup attempt. The findings about Bolsonaro’s role in the plot are outlined in the final Federal Police report on the 2022 coup attempt. The conclusions were delivered to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) on Thursday (21) and made public by Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday (26). The report has been forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR), which will evaluate the evidence and decide whether to charge those involved. According to the Federal Police, the 37 individuals implicated committed three crimes: attempting to violently abolish the Democratic Rule of Law, attempting a coup d’état, and participating in a criminal organization. Penalties for these crimes range from 12 to 28 years in prison, excluding aggravating factors.
(For context)
Bolsonaro jewelry scandal
Brazil’s Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro on charges of misappropriation of public assets, criminal association, and money laundering in connection with a scandal involving jewelry gifted to Brazil by Saudi Arabia during Bolsonaro’s presidency. The investigation has also led to indictments against 11 other individuals, including former Minister of Mines and Energy Bento Albuquerque and Bolsonaro’s former personal aide, Army Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cesar Barbosa Cid.
Among the gifts received from the Saudis was a set consisting of a white gold Rolex watch, a ring, cufflinks, and an Islamic rosary. These items, valued at $100,000 at the time, were presented to Bolsonaro during an official visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2019. In October 2021, a Brazilian government delegation, led by the former Minister of Mines and Energy Bento Albuquerque, returned from Saudi Arabia with two other jewelry cases given to Bolsonaro and his wife by the Saudi regime. According to Brazilian law, items received as gifts from heads of state and government are considered state property, except for consumables such as food and beverages.
Falsification of COVID-19 vaccination certificates
Brazilian Federal Police formally indicted the former president. Bolsonaro is suspected of ordering the forgery of Covid-19 vaccination certificates for him and his relatives. These charges could earn the far-right leader up to 12 years in jail. The extensive police report, which has now been made public, targets a further 16 individuals, suspected of having inserted false information into a public health database. Among the beneficiaries were Bolsonaro and his daughter Laura, now 13, as well as Rio de Janeiro MP Gutemberg Reis, military personnel and a number of advisors. According to the investigators, the scheme was orchestrated on Bolsonaro's orders by his former aide and loyal right arm, Mauro Cid, in late December 2022, a few days before the end of his mandate on January 1, 2023. The false documents were allegedly produced by the city hall in Duque de Caxias, in Rio's northern suburbs, whose officials are sympathetic to the far right. The certificates for the former president and his daughter were issued on the same day, in a highly dubious interval of just 10 minutes.
