Brazil police report: Bolsonaro directly involved in 2022 coup plot

BRASILIA, BRAZIL — 

Brazil's national constabulary presented grounds to the Supreme Court that erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro was straight progressive successful plotting a coup to overturn the result of the 2022 predetermination helium lost, according to an 884-page study unsealed connected Tuesday.

The last constabulary report, the effect of a astir two-year investigation, lays retired grounds gathered from hunt warrants, wiretaps, fiscal records and plea bargain grounds pointing to a transgression conspiracy with Bolsonaro astatine the helm.

"Bolsonaro efficaciously planned, directed and executed, successful coordination with different officials since astatine slightest 2019, factual acts that aimed astatine the abolition of the antiauthoritarian regularisation of law, with him remaining arsenic president," the study said.

Police besides recovered that Bolsonaro had "full knowledge" of a program to assassinate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, past president-elect, and his moving mate, based connected dialog captured betwixt conspirators and meetings astatine the statesmanlike residence.

The study cites 8 main pieces of grounds to backmost up the ceremonial accusation against Bolsonaro successful the alleged coup attempt, including a gathering helium called successful December 2022 with apical commanders of the equipped forces, presenting them with a projected coup d'état and asking them to articulation the conspiracy.

The service and aerial unit commanders refused, according to police, portion the navy commander, present retired Admiral Almir Garnier Santos, expressed support, according to investigators.

Garnier Santos was 1 of the 37 people, astir retired and immoderate active-duty subject officers, including Bolsonaro whom constabulary formally accused past week of a relation successful the planned coup. The country's authoritative general, Paulo Gonet, volition present determine whether to property charges against Bolsonaro and his alleged co-conspirators.

Bolsonaro was formally accused successful the attempted coup, on with convulsive abolition of the antiauthoritarian regularisation of instrumentality and transgression organization.

Bolsonaro has denied committing immoderate crime.

On Monday, helium told journalists successful Brasilia that helium had ne'er discussed a coup. His lawyer did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected the afloat study connected Tuesday.

A typical for Garnier did not instantly respond to petition for comment.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes connected Tuesday lifted the seal connected the constabulary study regarding the alleged coup plot.

Bolsonaro's defence minister, present retired General Walter Braga Netto, besides played an important relation successful readying the alleged coup, the constabulary probe found.

Not lone did helium promote Bolsonaro's allies to onslaught the equipped forces commanders connected societal media for not joining the coup plot, helium held a gathering astatine his location wherever the assassination of Lula and his Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin was discussed and approved, the study said.

Braga Netto, who was Bolsonaro's moving mate successful the 2022 election, has denied this.

"It was ne'er a coup, overmuch little a program to execution someone," helium said successful a societal media station pursuing past week’s authoritative accusation.

Bolsonaro ne'er recognized his decision by Lula, who was sworn successful arsenic president connected January 1, 2023.

The ceremonial constabulary accusations against Bolsonaro are a caller stroke to his program to tally for president successful 2026. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's caller triumph had buoyed Bolsonaro allies successful trying to overturn a tribunal determination that has blocked him from nationalist bureau for attacking the legitimacy of the 2022 vote.

Federal constabulary finished 2 abstracted transgression probes of Bolsonaro and his associates earlier this twelvemonth formally accusing them of tampering with COVID-19 vaccination cards portion successful bureau and of embezzling jewelry talented by the Saudi government.

Reuters reported past week, citing sources, that Gonet is readying to merge the 3 investigations into Bolsonaro's actions against Brazil's antiauthoritarian strategy and nutrient 1 azygous planetary indictment against him.

Because of that, Brazil's apical nationalist authoritative is not apt to contented immoderate indictments until adjacent twelvemonth for Bolsonaro, members of his authorities and subject officers who allegedly planned the coup, they said.