BRASÍLIA: Brazil’s attorney general on Tuesday formally charged far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro and 33 others over an alleged coup attempt after his 2022 election loss.
Bolsonaro, 69, and his co-accused were hit with five charges over the alleged bid to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after a bitter election race.
Attorney General Paulo Gonet Branco filed the charges at the Supreme Court “based on manuscripts, digital files, spreadsheets and exchanges of messages that reveal the scheme to disrupt the democratic order,” his office said in a statement.
“They describe, in detail, the conspiratorial plot set up and executed against democratic institutions.”
One of the charges is for the crime of “armed criminal organization,” allegedly led by Bolsonaro and his vice presidential candidate Walter Braga Netto.
“Allied with other individuals, including civilians and military personnel, they attempted to prevent, in a coordinated manner, the result of the 2022 presidential elections from being fulfilled,” read the statement.
The prosecutor’s office based its decision on a federal police report of over 800 pages, released last year after a two-year investigation which found Bolsonaro was “fully aware and actively participated” in the plot to cling to power.
Bolsonaro has denied the accusations and said he was the victim of “persecution.”
According to the statement from Branco’s office, the plot began in 2021, with “systematic attacks on the electronic voting system, through public statements and on the Internet.”
During the second round of the presidential election in October 2022, security agencies were mobilized to “prevent voters from voting for the opposition candidate,” said the statement.
Those involved at this stage worked to facilitate “the acts of violence and vandalism on January 8, 2023,” when Bolsonaro supporters stormed the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court.
The attorney general’s office said the criminal organization headed by Bolsonaro had pressured army chiefs “in favor of forceful actions in the political scene to prevent the elected president from taking office.”
Investigations also showed a plot to assassinate Lula, vice president Geraldo Alckmin and a high-profile judge with “the approval of” Bolsonaro.
According to the statement, the January 8 riots by Bolsonaro supporters urging the military to intervene were “the final attempt.”
The Supreme Court will now weigh the charges and decide whether to initiate proceedings against Bolsonaro.
Hours before the charges were filed, Bolsonaro told journalists in the capital Brasilia that he had “no concern” about the possibility of being indicted.
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Brazil prosecutor charges Bolsonaro over failed coup bid
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Brazil prosecutor charges Bolsonaro over failed coup bid
- Bolsonaro has denied the accusations and said he was the victim of “persecution”
Greenland PM prefers Denmark ties over US
- Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterated Greenland’s commitment to Denmark ahead of JD Vance meeting
- White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under US control
NUUK: Residents in Greenland’s snow-covered capital, Nuuk, expressed support for remaining part of Denmark and called for a pause in independence discussions ahead of high-level talks in Washington on Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump intensifies his interest in the Arctic island.
Greenlandic and Danish foreign ministers will meet US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday after renewed threats of taking control over Greenland, an autonomous territory Denmark.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterated Greenland’s commitment to Denmark, dismissing the prospect of becoming a US territory.
“We face a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the US and Denmark here and now, then we choose Denmark,” Nielsen told reporters in Copenhagen on Tuesday, standing alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. “We stand united in the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Greenland’s political landscape appears to be shifting, with leaders and residents focusing on long-term independence rather than immediate autonomy.
“In the current circumstances, I think it would be wise for Greenland to commit to Denmark for a very, very long time and remain under the NATO security umbrella,” said Finn Meinel, a Nuuk-based lawyer.
Some Greenlanders are worried about potential US intervention. Charlotte Heilmann, a pensioner in Nuuk, shared her reservations: “I can’t imagine living as an American. We are part of Denmark, and NATO, so I don’t understand why he keeps saying he wants to take our country.”
Casper Frank Moller, a tour operator, noted how US threats have brought Greenlanders closer together.
“Last year, some people were still focused on fast independence. But after what has happened, there’s more unity among us because we have to stand against this possible annexation. Hopefully, tomorrow’s meeting will lead to a diplomatic solution.”
’FOR US, IT’S HOME’
Greenland has been moving toward greater self-governance since 1979. However, cabinet minister Naaja Nathanielsen, responsible for business, energy, and minerals, acknowledged there is no immediate rush.
“For others, this might be a piece of land, but for us, it’s home,” she said in London. Nathanielsen added that Greenlanders are content being part of Denmark and see themselves as allies of the US, not as Americans.
Trump’s administration has repeatedly claimed Greenland’s strategic importance to US national security. White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under US control, including potential use of the US military and lump-sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark.
’THE HARDEST PART IS AHEAD'
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt had requested the upcoming meeting in Washington in response to Trump’s remarks. Rasmussen emphasized the importance of addressing disputes diplomatically. “Our aim is to move the discussion into a meeting room where we can look each other in the eye,” he said.
Denmark, which has managed Greenland for centuries, faces growing pressure to bolster Arctic defenses to counter geopolitical tensions. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen plans to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels next week, with multinational NATO exercises in Greenland scheduled by 2026.
Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen acknowledged the challenges presented by the heightened US interest. “It is hard to stand up to the US, our most important ally,” she said on Tuesday. “But the hardest part may still be ahead of us.”
Greenlandic and Danish foreign ministers will meet US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday after renewed threats of taking control over Greenland, an autonomous territory Denmark.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterated Greenland’s commitment to Denmark, dismissing the prospect of becoming a US territory.
“We face a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the US and Denmark here and now, then we choose Denmark,” Nielsen told reporters in Copenhagen on Tuesday, standing alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. “We stand united in the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Greenland’s political landscape appears to be shifting, with leaders and residents focusing on long-term independence rather than immediate autonomy.
“In the current circumstances, I think it would be wise for Greenland to commit to Denmark for a very, very long time and remain under the NATO security umbrella,” said Finn Meinel, a Nuuk-based lawyer.
Some Greenlanders are worried about potential US intervention. Charlotte Heilmann, a pensioner in Nuuk, shared her reservations: “I can’t imagine living as an American. We are part of Denmark, and NATO, so I don’t understand why he keeps saying he wants to take our country.”
Casper Frank Moller, a tour operator, noted how US threats have brought Greenlanders closer together.
“Last year, some people were still focused on fast independence. But after what has happened, there’s more unity among us because we have to stand against this possible annexation. Hopefully, tomorrow’s meeting will lead to a diplomatic solution.”
’FOR US, IT’S HOME’
Greenland has been moving toward greater self-governance since 1979. However, cabinet minister Naaja Nathanielsen, responsible for business, energy, and minerals, acknowledged there is no immediate rush.
“For others, this might be a piece of land, but for us, it’s home,” she said in London. Nathanielsen added that Greenlanders are content being part of Denmark and see themselves as allies of the US, not as Americans.
Trump’s administration has repeatedly claimed Greenland’s strategic importance to US national security. White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under US control, including potential use of the US military and lump-sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark.
’THE HARDEST PART IS AHEAD'
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt had requested the upcoming meeting in Washington in response to Trump’s remarks. Rasmussen emphasized the importance of addressing disputes diplomatically. “Our aim is to move the discussion into a meeting room where we can look each other in the eye,” he said.
Denmark, which has managed Greenland for centuries, faces growing pressure to bolster Arctic defenses to counter geopolitical tensions. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen plans to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels next week, with multinational NATO exercises in Greenland scheduled by 2026.
Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen acknowledged the challenges presented by the heightened US interest. “It is hard to stand up to the US, our most important ally,” she said on Tuesday. “But the hardest part may still be ahead of us.”
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