The final report of the parliamentary commission that has been investigating the January 8 coup attack in Brasilia for months and was approved without problems this Wednesday calls for the prosecution of 60 people led by former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The right-wing extremist is accused of four crimes that lead to a total of 29 years in prison, including the violent abolition of the rule of law. The report’s rapporteur claims that Bolsonaro was “the intellectual or moral author of the attacks on the institutions” that came after the sustained campaign he led to undermine credibility in the electoral process. The Supreme Court is already investigating the former president over the riots but has not yet prosecuted him. Since his departure from power and the loss of the immunity that has protected him for the past three decades, Bolsonaro has faced a huge array of cases. He has already been banned from elections for eight years and this Wednesday made a statement to the police in Brasilia about the unrest.
A week after leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office as president after defeating the far-right leader in electronic polls, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the seats of the presidential office, Congress and the Supreme Court. For three hours, the foundations of Brazilian democracy were shaken by the worst attack since the dictatorship. The main perpetrators of the invasion and looting of the noble buildings, their furniture and works of art are already being tried and convicted by the Supreme Court; the first received prison sentences of over 15 years. In total there are around 1,500 defendants.
The final report of the Congress received 20 votes in favor and 11 against in an extremely tense atmosphere. The rapporteur, Senator Eliziane Gama, an ally of Lula, had to leave the chamber under escort.
Former President Bolsonaro speaks to the media as he leaves the Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia on October 18.UESLEI MARCELINO (Portal)
In addition to Bolsonaro, the 60 people the parliamentarians want to prosecute include five of his former ministers and no fewer than 22 soldiers, including former heads of the army and navy, several retired generals and the personal secretary of the former president he was in Government office. The accusation. The role of the uniformed officers in the attempted coup is one of the central topics in coming to terms with what happened, but also one of the most sensitive chapters. “If there was no coup in this country, it is because the army, if ever asked to participate, said no,” emphasized before the final vote, the president of the parliamentary commission, Arthur Maia, from a party allied to Bolsonaro.
Congress’ conclusions could increase pressure on the former president and his administration’s hardline and military core to be formally indicted by the Supreme Court or prosecutors in connection with the failed coup attempt. After learning the conclusions, Bolsonaro replied to the commission: “I am only responsible for what I signed,” and asked rhetorically: “Have you seen soldiers moving?”
The investigative commission that has just presented its conclusions was, paradoxically, created following the impetus of Bolsonaro’s parliamentarians and despite the initial reluctance of President Lula’s Workers’ Party. Left allies claimed the commission was simply a platform to create confusion.
The PT finally agreed to the creation of the commission and appointed one of its representatives, Senator Gama, an evangelical and close to the justice minister, as rapporteur. “Brazilian democracy has been under attack: the masses have been manipulated with hate speech; Digital militiamen have been deployed to sow fear, disqualify opponents, and encourage attacks on the electoral system; Security forces were co-opted; there was an attempt to corrupt, obstruct and annul the elections; a coup was attempted; and finally, desperate acts and movements to seize power were encouraged,” said the author of the final report.
Traditionally, investigative commissions in Brazil do not have major tangible consequences, but are part of the process of wearing down the opponent. For example, the commission set up to investigate the pandemic concluded that Bolsonaro should be prosecuted for genocide, but that did not happen. He was never formally charged with a crime related to his handling of the coronavirus. In addition, he was recently acquitted in court of delaying the purchase of Covid vaccines, a virus that killed more than 700,000 of his compatriots, while spreading denial speech, promoting and boasting about drugs that have not been proven effective , not being vaccinated. .
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