Brazil’s Former President Bolsonaro Charged Over Alleged Coup That Included A Plan To Poison Lula | rssama.com

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s prosecutor-general connected Tuesday formally charged former President Jair Bolsonaro pinch attempting a coup to enactment successful agency aft his 2022 predetermination defeat, successful a crippled that included a scheme to poison his successor and existent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and termination a Supreme Court judge.

Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet alleges that Bolsonaro and 33 others participated successful a scheme to stay successful power. The alleged plot, he wrote, included a scheme to poison Lula and sprout dormant Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a foe of nan erstwhile president.

“The members of nan criminal statement system a scheme astatine nan statesmanlike palace to onslaught institutions, aiming to bring down nan strategy of nan powers and nan antiauthoritarian order, which received nan sinister sanction of ‘Green and Yellow Dagger,’” Gonet wrote successful a 272-page indictment. “The scheme was conceived and taken to nan knowledge of nan president, and he agreed to it.”

Bolsonaro is often seen successful Brazil’s yellow-and-green nationalist shot jersey and nan colors person go associated pinch his governmental movement.

Bolsonaro’s defense squad said it met nan accusations pinch “dismay and indignation,” adding successful a connection that nan erstwhile “President has ne'er agreed to immoderate activity aimed astatine deconstructing nan antiauthoritarian norm of rule aliases nan institutions that underpin it.”

Bolsonaro’s son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who is simply a senator, said connected nan societal level X that nan indictment was “empty” and location was nary grounds of wrongdoing. He accused nan Prosecutor-General’s Office of serving “the nefarious interests of Lula.”

In November, Brazil’s Federal Police revenge a 884-page study pinch Gonet detailing nan scheme. They allege a systematic effort to sow distrust successful nan electoral system, drafting a decree to supply ineligible screen for nan plot, pressuring apical subject brass to spell on pinch nan scheme and inciting a riot successful nan capital.

In nan indictment, Gonet described nan alleged crimes arsenic portion of a concatenation of events articulated pinch an overarching nonsubjective of stopping Bolsonaro from leaving office, “contrary to nan consequence of nan celebrated will astatine nan polls.”

The Supreme Court will analyse nan charges and, if accepted, Bolsonaro will guidelines trial.

The far-right leader denies wrongdoing. “I person nary concerns astir nan accusations, zero,” Bolsonaro told journalists earlier connected Tuesday during a sojourn to nan Senate successful Brasilia.

“Have you seen nan coup decree, by immoderate chance? You haven’t. Neither person I,” he added.

As good arsenic participating successful a coup d’état, nan 34 defendants are accused of participating successful an equipped criminal organization, attempted convulsive abolition of nan antiauthoritarian norm of law, harm qualified by unit and superior threat against nan state’s assets, and deterioration of listed heritage, according to a connection from nan Prosecutor General’s property office.

Gonet said nan criminal statement he charged “had arsenic leaders nan (then) president himself and his moving mate, Gen. Braga Netto.”

“Both accepted, stimulated, and performed acts that are described successful our criminal authorities arsenic attacking nan beingness and nan Independence of (the branches) of powerfulness and of nan antiauthoritarian rule,” Gonet wrote successful his report.

The crimes person varying penalties. If Bolsonaro is convicted of attempting a coup and nan convulsive abolition of nan antiauthoritarian norm of law, he could beryllium sentenced to up to 20 years successful prison, according to nan country’s criminal code.

The indictments, based connected manuscripts, integer files, spreadsheets, and connection exchanges, expose a strategy to disrupt antiauthoritarian order, according to nan prosecutor-general’s office.

The charges are “historic,” said Luis Henrique Machado, a criminal lawyer and professor astatine nan IDP assemblage successful Brasilia, adding that he expects nan Supreme Court to judge nan charges and put Bolsonaro connected proceedings sometime earlier nan extremity of adjacent year.

“The charges show Brazil’s institutions are robust, independent and agile,” Machado said. “They are a domiciled exemplary for different countries wherever populist is astatine risk.”

Bolsonaro is barred from running successful nan 2026 predetermination aft judges pinch nan country’s apical electoral tribunal ruled that he abused his powerfulness and formed unfounded doubts connected nan country’s physics voting system.

Following Tuesday’s charges, Bolsonaro will “position himself arsenic a victim,” said Carlos Melo, a governmental subject professor astatine Insper University successful Sao Paulo. Bolsonaro has antecedently said his ineligible woes are an effort to extremity him from returning to office.

“There are polls saying he would beryllium competitory successful nan 2026 elections against Lula, 1 of them published today,” said Melo. “There’s going to beryllium governmental dust, but it will settle.”

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Savarese reported from Sao Paulo.

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Braziljair bolsonaroLuiz Inácio Lula Silva