Brazil’s federal police announced on Thursday that they have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others for allegedly plotting a coup to keep him in office following his 2022 electoral defeat.
The police submitted their findings, reportedly around 700 pages long, to Brazil’s Supreme Court. The court will forward the case to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will decide whether to formally charge Bolsonaro and bring the case to trial or dismiss the investigation.
Speaking to the news outlet Metropoles, Bolsonaro dismissed the allegations as “creativity” and said he was waiting for his lawyer’s review of the indictment. The former right-wing president has consistently denied claims of attempting to cling to power after losing narrowly to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 elections. Since his defeat, Bolsonaro has faced numerous legal challenges.
The police released a statement confirming the Supreme Court had agreed to disclose the names of all 37 individuals indicted “to prevent the spread of false information.” The list includes several prominent Bolsonaro allies, such as:
- Gen. Walter Braga Netto, Bolsonaro’s 2022 running mate
- Gen. Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira, former Army commander
- Valdemar Costa Neto, chairman of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party
- Gen. Augusto Heleno, a long-time adviser to Bolsonaro
This is not Bolsonaro’s only legal challenge. He faces indictments in other investigations, including:
- Diamond Smuggling: Allegedly smuggling diamond jewelry into Brazil without proper declaration.
- COVID-19 Vaccine Status Falsification: Allegedly directing a subordinate to falsify vaccination records for himself and others.
- Voting System Misinformation: Accused of abusing his authority to undermine confidence in Brazil’s voting system, leading to a ruling that bars him from running for office until 2030.
Bolsonaro denies involvement in all these cases but has maintained his intention to run for office again in 2026, despite the ban. His resolve has reportedly been bolstered by the recent U.S. election victory of Donald Trump, another embattled right-wing leader facing legal challenges.
Political analyst Carlos Melo from Insper University in São Paulo noted that these investigations have significantly weakened Bolsonaro’s position as a leader of Brazil’s right wing. The growing list of legal troubles has tarnished his influence, even as his loyalists remain hopeful for his political revival.
