Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Eléonore Hughes and Mauricio Savares at The Associated Press is the basis of this AI-assisted article.
Brazil’s Supreme Court is deliberating this week on whether former President Jair Bolsonaro is guilty of plotting to overthrow the country’s democracy after his 2022 electoral defeat.
Some key facts:
• Bolsonaro faces five criminal counts including attempting to stage a coup and involvement in an armed criminal organization after losing to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
• The five-judge Supreme Court panel began deliberations Tuesday and expects to deliver a verdict Thursday or Friday.
• If convicted, Bolsonaro could face decades in prison, with the coup plot charge alone carrying up to 12 years.
• Prosecutors allege Bolsonaro led a multipronged plot including casting doubt on electronic voting systems and encouraging the January 8, 2023, riot to force an army takeover.
• Seven close allies are being tried alongside Bolsonaro, including former running mate Walter Braga Netto and former Defense Minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira.
• Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest with an ankle monitor and did not attend court proceedings this week due to reported health issues.
• Bolsonaro has always denied any wrongdoing, repeatedly calling the trial a politically motivated attack.
• U.S. President Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods due to Bolsonaro’s judicial situation and is closely watching the trial outcome.
• The trial marks the first time in Brazil’s history that a former president and high-ranking military officers are standing trial for allegedly plotting against democratic rule.
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
