Jair Bolsonaro and Allies Face Trial Over Alleged Attempt to Overthrow Brazilian Democracy

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and seven associates, including four senior military officials, have gone on trial for allegedly attempting to stage a coup following Bolsonaro’s 2022 election defeat. This marks the first time in Brazil’s history that a former president and top military leaders are being prosecuted for trying to undermine democracy.

Bolsonaro, who served as Brazil’s president from 2019 to 2023, is accused of attempting a failed takeover after losing the election to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His co-defendants include three army generals, the former navy commander, former defence ministers Walter Braga Netto and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira, former institutional security minister Augusto Heleno, former security minister Anderson Torres, former spy chief Alexandre Ramagem, and Bolsonaro’s former assistant, Lt Col Mauro Cid.

The accusations relate to an alleged conspiracy to launch a pro-Bolsonaro coup between the October 2022 election and the 8 January 2023 uprising in Brasília. Bolsonaro has been under house arrest since early August for breaking a court order that barred him from using social media. Police say they found evidence suggesting he might have planned to escape to Argentina and request asylum.

The Supreme Court started a two-week trial on Tuesday, with five judges set to hold eight televised sessions from September 2 to 12. If found guilty, Bolsonaro and his allies could face decades in prison. Since early August, Bolsonaro has been under house arrest for violating a court order that banned him from using social media. Authorities say there is evidence he may have planned to flee to Argentina and seek asylum.

Brazil has experienced more than a dozen coup attempts since becoming a republic in 1889. The last successful coup occurred in 1964, when US-backed generals deposed President João Goulart, initiating 21 years of military rule. Historian Danilo Araújo Marques of the Federal University of Minas Gerais described the current trial as “unprecedented and historic” for holding top leaders accountable for threatening democracy.

On the eve of the trial, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports and sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, actions analysts interpret as attempts to pressure Brazil and support Bolsonaro. Former U.S. ambassador Thomas Shannon described Trump’s measures as a political intervention aimed at undermining Bolsonaro’s prosecution and reviving his political career.

Security has been increased around Brasília’s Supreme Court, presidential palace, and Congress ahead of Independence Day rallies by Bolsonaro supporters. The protests are expected to call for Bolsonaro’s absolution. President Lula has used Trump’s actions to emphasize Brazilian sovereignty, donning a blue cap with the slogan “Brazil belongs to the Brazilians.”