Court Records: Bolsonaro Suggested Coup Plan for Brazil Following 2022 Election Loss

Court documents allege that Brazil’s ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, actively sought to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election, in which he narrowly lost to left-wing candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The documents reveal testimony from former Brazilian military leaders, who claim that they warned Bolsonaro against his plans, saying such actions could lead to his arrest. Their declarations are part of multiple investigations against Bolsonaro being conducted by the Brazilian Supreme Court.

One of the recently released filings includes a report by ex-army commander Marco Antonio Freire Gomes. He recounted several unscheduled meetings at the presidential palace post-election, where Bolsonaro proposed creating a commission to examine the legality of the electoral process. Bolsonaro also suggested the possibility of invoking a state of siege. Gomes reports that he repeatedly explained to Bolsonaro that there was no military method to reverse the election outcome.

Former Air Force commander, Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior concurred with Gomes’ statements. He commented that Gomes’ refusal played a crucial role in thwarting Bolsonaro’s attempts to subvert the electoral results. The documents include a statement by Gomes asserting that if Bolsonaro tried to enact his plans, he would need to arrest the president.

The investigations into Bolsonaro’s actions and attempts to orchestrate a military coup continue as prosecutors had his passport seized in February. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes made a court order stating that Bolsonaro received a draft decree that would have overturned the election results and issued arrest warrants for Moraes, fellow Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes, and Senate leader Rodrigo Pacheco in November 2022. Despite some changes requested by Bolsonaro, the decree still called for the arrest of Moraes and the organizing of a new presidential election.

Further enquiries into Bolsonaro’s activities are ongoing; specifically regarding his potential connection to the January 8, 2023 riots which resulted in damage to governmental buildings in Brasilia. This comes after Bolsonaro was deemed ineligible to run for office until 2030 by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court for spreading misinformation about the election results. Despite losing, he hasn’t publicly admitted his defeat and, along with his allies, has suggested voter fraud as the reason behind his election failure.