Latin America

By Daniel Carvalho
October 18, 2023 — 3.05pm

Brasilia: Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro should face criminal charges for plotting a coup d’etat in response to his 2022 election defeat, the senator leading a congressional probe into January 8 riots that ransacked the capital said in an official report released on Wednesday (AEDT).

Senator Eliziane Gama, the investigation’s rapporteur, also recommended Bolsonaro’s indictment on three other charges related to the insurrection attempt in Brasilia, during which thousands of the right-wing leader’s supporters stormed major government buildings in a bid to undermine President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s election victory.

Gama’s report is preliminary. Members of the committee, which is made up of legislators from both the lower house of Congress and the Senate, were scheduled to vote on whether to approve its findings on Wednesday. While the committee can recommend charges, Brazilian police will ultimately decide whether to pursue indictments.

The report asserts that Bolsonaro was the “author” of the insurrection attempt, and that top members of his government and senior military officers played a role in the effort to overturn the election result.

More:
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/south-america/coup-author-bolsonaro-found-to-have-plotted-uprising-that-led-to-riots-20231018-p5edbt.html