Brazil was plunged deeper into political turmoil on Thursday as its Supreme Court sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting to overthrow the government of his successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the wake of the fiercely contested 2022 presidential election.
The 70-year-old far-right leader, often nicknamed the “Trump of the tropics” for his close alignment with former Donald Trump, was convicted by a 4-1 vote after a tense four-day trial that gripped the nation and drew swift backlash from United States officials.
Court Finds Bolsonaro Plotted Coup
Prosecutors argued that Bolsonaro conspired with a network of allies—including former ministers and military chiefs—to topple the newly elected Lula administration following his own October 2022 election loss. They said the plot failed largely because senior military officers refused to back it.
Delivering the decisive vote, Justice Cristiano Zanin, a former lawyer for Lula, said:
“An armed criminal organization was formed by the defendants, who must be convicted based on the factual circumstances I consider proven.”
Bolsonaro was also found guilty of inciting the violent storming of the Supreme Court, presidential palace, and Congress in Brasília in January 2023, just days after Lula’s inauguration. Hundreds of his supporters overran the capital’s institutions in scenes reminiscent of the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
Defense Cries ‘Political Persecution’
Bolsonaro’s legal team condemned the verdict as “incredibly excessive” and announced plans to appeal “including at the international level.” Speaking outside the family home in Brasília, his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, insisted his father was “holding his head high in the face of this persecution” and vowed to lobby Congress to pass an amnesty bill.
The former president, who is under house arrest, did not attend the hearings but followed proceedings from his residence. He has consistently maintained that he is the victim of political persecution.
Global Fallout and U.S. Tensions
The verdict immediately strained relations between Brazil and the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the conviction as a “politically motivated witch hunt,” warning that Washington would “respond accordingly.”
Brazil’s foreign ministry swiftly hit back, saying it would not be intimidated by what it described as Rubio’s “threats.”
Donald Trump, who previously imposed steep tariffs on Brazil, called the verdict “very surprising” and praised Bolsonaro as a “good man” who is being targeted much like himself.
A Deeply Divided Nation
The trial has sharply polarized Brazilian society. Many on the left hailed the conviction as a necessary defense of democracy, while Bolsonaro’s supporters branded it a “political show trial.” Celebrations erupted in some parts of Brasília as the verdict was read, while others expressed anger and disbelief.
Bolsonaro becomes the fourth former Brazilian president convicted since the country’s return to democracy in 1985. Ironically, Lula himself spent 19 months in prison on corruption charges before they were overturned in 2021.
The outcome has buoyed Lula, whose popularity had been waning, and positioned him as a staunch defender of Brazilian sovereignty amid what he portrays as foreign interference. He has hinted at seeking reelection next year, even as the country grapples with the fallout of this historic ruling.
