Brazil’s Supreme Court has convicted former president Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a military coup to remain in power after his 2022 election defeat, making him the first ex-leader in the country’s history found guilty of undermining democracy.
The case, which also uncovered a plan to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was decided on Thursday after Justice Cármen Lúcia cast the third and decisive vote to convict Bolsonaro on coup-related charges. The 11-member panel will set his sentence in the coming days, with possible penalties including a long prison term or a lifetime ban from politics.
Prosecutors accused Bolsonaro of conspiring with military officers and political allies to overturn election results through disinformation, mobilisation of radical supporters, and a plot to eliminate Lula. The scheme collapsed after January 8, 2023, riots in Brasília, when his supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace.
Bolsonaro, who denies the charges, has faced international scrutiny throughout the trial. Reports indicated that former U.S. president Donald Trump, a close ally, imposed tariffs on Brazil and sanctioned justices in a failed bid to derail the case.
Human rights advocates and legal experts hailed the ruling as a landmark moment for Brazil, a nation with a history of coups but little accountability for political elites. They argue the conviction reinforces the strength of democratic institutions and the principle that no leader is above the Constitution.
