Bolsonaro Charged with Coup Plot in Brazil

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro faces a stunning legal reckoning as the nation’s prosecutor-general formally charged him with orchestrating a coup after losing the 2022 election. Announced on February 18 2025 this move by Paulo Gonet marks a dramatic escalation in the fight to protect Brazil’s democracy. Bolsonaro a far-right populist allegedly led a scheme to cling to power despite his defeat to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The charges detailed in a 272-page indictment paint a picture of a desperate bid to upend the democratic order including plans to assassinate rivals.

The accusations stem from a two-year probe sparked by the January 8 2023 riots when Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia. That chaotic day saw thousands demand military intervention to oust Lula who had just taken office. Federal police say the violence was the climax of a longer plot starting in 2021. Bolsonaro reportedly sowed distrust in Brazil’s electronic voting system then rallied aides and military figures to block Lula’s presidency. The plan dubbed “Green and Yellow Dagger” aimed to dismantle the rule of law.

Gonet’s indictment names 33 others alongside Bolsonaro including his 2022 running mate General Walter Braga Netto. The alleged conspiracy included chilling details like a plot to poison Lula and kill Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes a fierce Bolsonaro critic. Evidence reportedly shows the ex-president knew and approved of these schemes hatched in the presidential palace. If convicted on charges like attempting a coup and leading an armed criminal group Bolsonaro could face up to 20 years in prison under Brazil’s laws.

This isn’t Bolsonaro’s first brush with legal trouble. He’s already barred from running for office until 2030 for spreading election fraud lies. Yet he’s denied all wrongdoing calling the charges political persecution. Hours before the indictment dropped he shrugged off concerns to reporters in Brasilia. His allies in Congress are pushing an amnesty bill for the 2023 rioters with some hoping it could shield him too. But analysts say these fresh allegations make such a bailout politically toxic even as Bolsonaro eyes a 2026 comeback.

The stakes for Brazil are immense. Lula’s narrow 2022 win ended a polarizing era under Bolsonaro whose tenure echoed Trump-style tactics. The coup probe reveals how close the nation came to authoritarian rule. Military leaders reportedly balked at Bolsonaro’s pressure averting disaster. Now the Supreme Court must decide whether to try him a process that could drag into late 2025. For many Brazilians this is about more than one man. It’s a test of whether democracy can hold firm against those who’d rather burn it down.

Lula now governing with a shaky 24 percent approval per recent polls has seized on the news. Speaking on February 18 he said he’s lucky to be alive after the alleged poison plot. The charges bolster his narrative of surviving a ruthless foe. Yet they also deepen Brazil’s divide. Bolsonaro’s base sees him as a martyr targeted by a leftist elite. Protests could flare if he’s jailed though his influence has waned since leaving office. The ex-leader spent early 2023 in Florida avoiding the fallout only returning after legal heat intensified.

Globally the case draws parallels to January 6 in the U.S. Both saw defeated leaders allegedly incite chaos to retain power. Brazil’s response swift and severe contrasts with America’s slower reckoning. Advocates of justice cheer this as a model for accountability. Critics warn it risks further polarizing a fragile nation. Either way the world is watching. A conviction could deter future strongmen. An acquittal might embolden them. For now Bolsonaro’s fate rests with judges not the streets he once rallied.

Beyond the courtroom Brazil faces a reckoning with its democratic soul. The coup plot exposed cracks in its institutions from pliable military brass to a restless far-right. Healing that rift won’t be quick or easy. Lula’s team vows to strengthen election safeguards while rooting out Bolsonaro loyalists in key posts. Citizens exhausted by years of strife just want stability. As this saga unfolds one thing is clear. The fight for Brazil’s future didn’t end in 2022. It’s only heating up.