Brazil’s Supreme Court on Thursday handed down a 27-year prison sentence to former president Jair Bolsonaro after finding him guilty of orchestrating a coup attempt following his 2022 electoral defeat by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The 3-2 majority decision came after weeks of testimony and debate that riveted international observers. Judges concluded that Bolsonaro conspired to cling to power illegally, undermining the country’s democratic framework.
Justice Cármen Lúcia Antunes Rocha, delivering her opinion, stated that “Bolsonaro sought to sow the virus of authoritarianism in Brazil’s democracy,” while praising the country’s institutions for withstanding the challenge. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Bolsonaro encouraged military figures and supporters to dispute the election outcome and helped organize demonstrations that culminated in the January 2023 storming of government buildings in Brasília.
According to Attorney General Paulo Gonet Branco, Bolsonaro and 33 allies participated in a coordinated scheme to erode public trust in the vote, spreading baseless claims of fraud. Bolsonaro’s defense team denied all allegations, calling the proceedings a “political witch hunt.”
The verdict has heightened international tensions. U.S. President Donald Trump responded by imposing 50% tariffs on certain Brazilian exports and revoked the visa of Brazil’s Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski, criticizing the ruling as politically motivated. Bolsonaro, currently under house arrest and guarded by police, did not attend the hearings. Legal analysts expect him to appeal, but prospects for overturning the decision are slim. Under Brazilian law, crimes against democracy can carry sentences of up to 43 years, underscoring the gravity of the charges.
