Wed Feb 19 22:20:39 UTC 2025: ## Bolsonaro Denounces “Authoritarian Regime” After Coup Attempt Indictment
**Brasília, Brazil** – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has vehemently denied accusations of plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election defeat, denouncing the charges as a fabrication by an “authoritarian regime.” On Wednesday, Bolsonaro took to X (formerly Twitter) to decry the indictment, which also names 33 others, including former ministers and a former navy chief.
Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, claims the charges are a tactic to silence political opposition, drawing parallels to similar actions in leftist-governed Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. He asserts that the indictment, which includes accusations of plotting to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, is part of a broader effort to manufacture internal enemies and consolidate power.
The indictment, stemming from a two-year investigation, alleges Bolsonaro orchestrated a multi-pronged plan to remain in power after losing the election to Lula. Prosecutors detail accusations ranging from plotting to poison Lula to attempting to fatally shoot Justice Moraes, a key adversary of the former president. The charging document explicitly states that Bolsonaro led a criminal organization operating under an “authoritarian project of power.”
While Bolsonaro remains unlikely to be arrested before trial unless deemed a flight risk by Justice Moraes, who is overseeing the case, the indictment represents a significant blow to the former president’s political aspirations. He is currently barred from holding public office until 2030.
President Lula addressed the charges on Wednesday, stating that everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence and will face the consequences if found guilty. The events follow the January 2023 riots in Brasilia, where Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings, mirroring the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. Bolsonaro, who was in Florida at the time of the riots, has consistently denied involvement. This indictment marks the first time Bolsonaro has faced criminal charges in Brazil.
First Piper 