Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been officially charged with leading a plot to overthrow the government after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The country’s attorney-general accused Bolsonaro of running a “criminal organization” to undermine democracy.
Prosecutors allege that Bolsonaro and 33 others, including his former vice-presidential candidate, General Walter Braga Netto, and several military officials, conspired to prevent Lula from taking office. Some of the conspirators even planned to assassinate Lula, aiming to disrupt the transition of power.
Now, Brazil’s supreme court will review the charges and decide if the case should move to trial. If found guilty, Bolsonaro could face significant jail time. He has already been barred from running for office until 2030 due to previous controversies involving the electoral system.
In addition to the coup charges, Bolsonaro faces other legal troubles, including accusations of faking a COVID-19 vaccination certificate and illegally selling gifts he received while in office.
The attorney-general highlighted that the charges reveal a structured effort involving prominent figures to negate the results of the 2022 election. This information comes from a comprehensive federal police report submitted last November.
Bolsonaro’s legal team insists he has never advocated for any actions against Brazil’s democratic institutions. They argue that after nearly two years of investigations, there is no evidence linking him directly to the accusations.
Authorities claim that the alleged conspiracy, dubbed the “Green and Yellow Dagger” plot—named after Brazil’s flag—was intended to kill Lula and his running mate shortly before the inauguration in December 2022. Supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes was also reportedly targeted.
Among those charged are high-ranking officials, including the former head of Brazil’s navy and intelligence services. However, the scheme reportedly fell through because key military leaders did not support it. Nonetheless, the attorney-general stated that Bolsonaro was aware of and agreed to the plan.
Investigators believe the criminal organization started forming in June 2021, during a period when Bolsonaro frequently questioned the integrity of Brazil’s electronic voting system without any solid proof. This situation escalated into an insurrection in January 2023 when Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed government buildings, falsely claiming the election results were manipulated.
As the former president makes efforts to unite conservative lawmakers for an amnesty law regarding the unrest, critics see this as a personal strategy to win favor and avoid legal consequences.
