Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison on Thursday, concluding a historic trial that convicted the far-right leader of orchestrating a coup attempt to overturn his 2022 election defeat. The landmark ruling, which has deepened Brazil’s political divide and sparked tensions with the United States, could see the 70-year-old spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
In a 4-1 decision, the court found Bolsonaro guilty of leading an armed criminal organization aimed at subverting the democratic process following his loss to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October 2022. The verdict, which Bolsonaro can appeal, also convicted seven co-defendants, including former ministers and military officials, for their roles in the plot.
Justice Cristiano Zanin, the fifth and final judge to vote, affirmed the conviction, stating, “The defendants formed an armed criminal organization, and their guilt is clear based on the proven facts.” Zanin, previously Lula’s lawyer, delivered the decisive vote after the court had already secured the three-vote majority needed for conviction.
The charges against Bolsonaro included knowledge of a plan to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as well as inciting the violent January 8, 2023, storming of Brazil’s Supreme Court, presidential palace, and Congress by hundreds of his supporters, just days after Lula’s inauguration.
A Nation Divided
The trial, one of the most contentious in Brazil’s recent history, unfolded over four days and captivated the nation, with citizens following the proceedings on television and social media. In a Brasilia bar, patrons erupted in applause as the conviction was announced. “After so much waiting, this despicable individual is finally facing justice,” said Virgilio Soares, a 46-year-old translator.
However, not all shared this sentiment. Germano Cavalcante, a 60-year-old civil engineer, decried the trial as “unfair,” reflecting the deep polarization between those who view the ruling as a defense of democracy and others, primarily on the right, who see it as a politically motivated spectacle.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain who led Brazil from 2019 to 2022, did not attend the hearings in Brasilia, opting to follow the proceedings from his residence, where he remains under house arrest. He has consistently denied the charges, claiming to be a victim of political persecution.
International Backlash
The verdict drew sharp criticism from the United States, a longtime ally of Brazil. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the trial a “politically motivated witch hunt,” warning that Washington would “respond accordingly.” President Donald Trump, who had imposed steep tariffs on Brazilian goods in retaliation for Bolsonaro’s prosecution, called the ruling “very surprising” and likened it to legal challenges he faced. “They didn’t get away with it against me,” Trump told reporters, describing Bolsonaro as “a good man.”
The case has strained U.S.-Brazil relations to an unprecedented degree, with Washington also imposing sanctions on Justice Moraes and other Supreme Court judges.
Push for Amnesty
Amid fears of imprisonment, Bolsonaro’s allies in Congress are advocating for an amnesty law to shield him from incarceration. The former president, often dubbed “the Trump of the tropics” for his populist style, remains a polarizing figure whose trial has underscored Brazil’s fragile democratic landscape.
