Wed Mar 26 00:13:21 UTC 2025: ## Bolsonaro Faces Coup Attempt Trial in Brazil
**Brasília, Brazil** – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is facing a potential trial for allegedly orchestrating a coup attempt following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election. Brazil’s Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments to determine whether Bolsonaro will be prosecuted.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet argued on Tuesday that Bolsonaro led a conspiracy to overthrow the government, citing alleged plots to poison President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and assassinate Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Gonet presented evidence including “manuscripts, digital files, spreadsheets and exchanges of messages” to support his claim that Bolsonaro used criminal means to cling to power.
Bolsonaro faces five charges, including “attempted violent abolition of the democratic state of law.” Federal police initially indicted him in an 884-page report last November. The former president denies all wrongdoing, claiming the charges are politically motivated. He even went so far as to claim that he expects to be assassinated within 30 days, though he didn’t specify who he felt threatened by.
The case stems from the events surrounding the 2022 election, where Bolsonaro repeatedly questioned the integrity of the voting system and refused to concede defeat after losing to Lula. His supporters engaged in widespread protests, culminating in the January 8, 2023, storming of government buildings in Brasília.
The Supreme Court justices are expected to reach a decision on Wednesday. A majority vote is required to proceed with a criminal trial. A separate ruling from earlier this year already bars Bolsonaro from holding public office until 2030. The comparisons to former US President Donald Trump’s actions following the 2020 US election are unavoidable, fueling further international attention to this case. Bolsonaro’s allies reportedly hope for US intervention to influence the Brazilian justice system.
First Piper 