Brazil Ex President Bolsonaros future depends on a judges decision

Brazil: Ex-President Bolsonaro’s future depends on a judge’s decision

For him, this could be the moment of truth: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro could find out on Friday if the judiciary sentenced him to eight years’ ban for disinformation before losing the election at the end of 2022.

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So far, three of the seven judges of Brasilia’s Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) have voted in favor of a conviction and one against. The far-right leader faces charges of “abuse of political power and misuse of communications” for criticizing the reliability of electronic ballot boxes without evidence just months before his left-wing rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won the election.

Friday’s session, due to start at 12:00 (15:00 GMT) could prove crucial as the court’s decision will be reached by majority. However, the suspense could grow even more if a judge asked for more time to investigate the case.

The former head of state (2019-2022) planned to stay away from his trial, as he did at the first three hearings. According to his formation, he has to go to Belo Horizonte (southeast) for lunch with members of his Liberal Party.

“I have committed no crime by meeting with ambassadors. “It is incomprehensible to strip me of my political rights over allegations of abuse of political power,” the 68-year-old former army captain told reporters on Thursday.

In fact, at the heart of the process is a speech delivered in July 2022 to diplomats at the Alvorada presidential residence and broadcast on public television and social networks. He wanted to fix “deficiencies” in electronic voting under “Armed Forces Participation,” he said.

This speech about the alleged susceptibility to fraud in the electoral system, this nostalgic of the military dictatorship (1964-1985) will have hammered him during his election campaign. He may have stoked the ire of his most radical supporters, who stormed and looted the executive, legislative and judicial branches of Brasilia on January 8, just days after Lula’s inauguration.

The three TSE judges who have already voted to convict have harshly criticized the ex-president’s conduct.

His speech sounded like a “delusional narrative with damaging effects on democracy” and it was not an isolated act, but a “strategic decision forged over time for electoral purposes,” thundered Judge André Ramos Tavares.

Conversely, for his colleague Raul Araujo, his behavior “was not likely to justify an extreme level of suspension”.

If convicted, the defense intends to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Should the former head of state be out of the running, the question of how to lead his camp would be urgent. For now, no figure stands out as a cure, but Bolsonarianism is more entrenched than ever.

Right-wing and far-right parties are even stronger in Parliament than under Jair Bolsonaro, who after two terms (2003-2010) narrowly lost to Lula in the second round by just 1.8%.

Regardless of the TSE’s decision, no justice will be served to Mr Bolsonaro. In addition to fifteen cases before the electoral court, the former leader has been targeted in five cases by the Supreme Court, particularly for his alleged role in instigating the January 8 attacks. He faces imprisonment.