Wed Feb 19 02:49:10 UTC 2025: ## Bolsonaro Charged with Coup Plot in Brazil

**Brasília, Brazil** – Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been formally charged with attempting to overthrow the democratically elected government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The charges, filed Tuesday with the Supreme Court by Attorney General Paulo Gonet, also include 33 other individuals, among them former ministers and a former navy chief.

The indictment alleges that Bolsonaro led a criminal organization aiming to undermine Brazil’s democratic order through an authoritarian power grab. The charges stem from a two-year investigation into Bolsonaro’s role in fueling an election-denying movement that culminated in the January 2023 riots in Brasília, where thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court. These events echoed the January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

The investigation, concluded in November, implicated Bolsonaro and others in planning the “violent overthrow of the democratic state.” Among those charged are prominent figures from Bolsonaro’s administration, including the head of his Liberal Party and former ministers of defense, national security, and justice.

Bolsonaro, who denies any wrongdoing, has dismissed the charges as a politically motivated attack. However, this indictment marks the first time he has faced criminal charges and represents a significant legal hurdle for the former president, who had been planning a political comeback. Two previous court decisions have already barred him from holding public office until 2030. While Bolsonaro is unlikely to be arrested immediately, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes will determine whether he poses a flight risk. The case now moves to the Supreme Court for further proceedings. The separate investigation into alleged assassination plots against President Lula and Vice President Alckmin, involving individuals linked to Bolsonaro, adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing political and legal turmoil.

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