Brazil’s Supreme Court delivers a historic verdict, finding Jair Bolsonaro guilty of leading a criminal organization in a violent attempt to overturn the 2022 election and cling to power.
In a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through the Americas, Brazil’s Supreme Court has convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and sentenced him to 27 years and three months in prison for masterminding a criminal organization aimed at launching a coup d’état.
The verdict, delivered Thursday by a 4-1 majority of the court’s justices, caps a dramatic trial that detailed a far-reaching plot involving disinformation, alleged assassination plans, and a direct assault on the heart of Brazilian democracy. The conviction marks an unprecedented moment in the nation’s history, holding a former leader accountable for attempting to violently overthrow the democratic order he was elected to uphold.
The Charges and The Sentence
Jair Bolsonaro was found guilty on five counts, including leading an armed criminal organization, conspiring to stage a coup, and attempting to abolish the democratic rule of law violently. The charges stem from his efforts to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election, which he lost to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The sentence of 27 years and three months does not mean immediate imprisonment. The court has 60 days to publish the full ruling, after which Bolsonaro’s defense team can appeal. The former president, who denied all wrongdoing, is currently under house arrest in Brasília.
A “Criminal Organization” and an “Authoritarian Project”
The trial’s most damning allegations came from Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the presiding judge, who voted to convict on Tuesday. He described Bolsonaro as the leader of a “criminal organisation” that executed an “authoritarian project” to plunge Brazil back into dictatorship.
De Moraes outlined a plot that began as early as June 2021, with a coordinated campaign to discredit Brazil’s electronic voting system and judiciary. The goal, he stated, was to preemptively sow doubt about election fraud to justify a power grab if Bolsonaro lost.
The conspiracy allegedly intensified after the October 2022 defeat. Justice de Moraes presented evidence of meetings where Jair Bolsonaro tried to persuade military leaders to intervene and prevent Lula’s inauguration. While the head of the navy allegedly agreed, the army and air force commanders refused, a move for which de Moraes praised them.
The most shocking revelation was a parallel plan involving a hit squad of special forces assassins tasked with murdering President Lula, Vice-President-elect Geraldo Alckmin, and Justice de Moraes himself. This plan, allegedly printed out in the presidential palace and delivered to Bolsonaro’s residence, was intended to create chaos and justify imposing a “state of exception.”
“This wasn’t printed out in a cave… It was printed out in the seat of the Brazilian government,” de Moraes told the court, dismissing the idea that Bolsonaro was unaware of the scheme.
The failed putsch culminated on January 8, 2023, when thousands of Bolsonaro’s supporters, incited by his claims of a stolen election, stormed and vandalized the Supreme Court, Congress, and the presidential palace.
Political Earthquake and International Repercussions
The verdict deepens the fissures in a already divided Brazilian society. While many celebrate the ruling as a victory for the rule of law, Bolsonaro’s supporters decry it as “supreme persecution.” His son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, claimed there was “no proof at all” and called the assassination plot allegations “fiction.”
The conviction also has significant international ramifications. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, a political ally of Bolsonaro, expressed his displeasure, calling the conviction “very bad for Brazil.” This aligns with his previous threats to impose tariffs on Brazilian goods over what he called a “witch hunt,” potentially straining diplomatic relations between the two nations.
What’s Next for Bolsonaro and Brazil?
Despite his legal woes, Jair Bolsonaro remains a potent political force. Already barred from running for office until 2030 in a separate case, this conviction solidifies his removal from the electoral arena. However, his movement persists. The focus will now shift to his allied lawmakers, who are expected to push for a congressional amnesty, and to the selection of a political heir to challenge President Lula in the next election.
The trial of Jair Bolsonaro is more than just the downfall of one man; it is a stark testament to the fragility of democracy in the 21st century and the severe consequences for those who seek to shatter it. As the court’s majority concluded, this was the work of a political group that “doesn’t know how to lose elections” and was willing to hold onto power “at any cost.” The sentence ensures that cost will be exceedingly high.