Brazil’s Bolsonaro and allies accused of plotting to overthrow democracy

Federal police in Brazil have formally accused former president Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others of conspiring to overthrow the country’s democracy through a right-wing coup attempt.

The final police report caps a nearly two-year investigation into Mr Bolsonaro’s role in the election-denying movement that culminated in riots by his supporters that swept Brasilia, the capital, in January 2023, just a week after his rival president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office.

Many protesters at the time said they wanted to create chaos to justify a military coup, which they considered imminent.

The charges follow a comprehensive investigation into what authorities have called a coordinated effort to "violently dismantle the constitutional state".

The list of accused, revealed on Thursday, includes prominent figures from Mr Bolsonaro’s administration, such as his former spy chief Alexandre Ramagem, ex-defence ministers General Walter Braga Netto and General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira, former minister of justice Anderson Torres and former navy commander Almir Garnier Santos. Other high-profile names are Mr Bolsonaro’s political party president Valdemar Costa Neto and top foreign policy adviser Filipe Martins.

The investigation also implicated international figures, including Argentinian digital strategist Fernando Cerimedo, known for his ties to Mr Bolsonaro and his family. Cerimedo recently managed communications for Argentina’s president Javier Milei during the 2023 elections.

This announcement comes days after police arrested five individuals accused of plotting to assassinate Brazil’s leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his vice-president Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes. Among those arrested was General Mario Fernandes, who was also named in the coup conspiracy. Fernandes reportedly told co-conspirators, "We are at war," according to evidence gathered by investigators.

Mr Bolsonaro, who has denied any role in attempts to overturn Mr Lula’s 2022 electoral victory, responded cautiously, saying he would consult his lawyer before commenting. The former president said on social media that investigators and the Supreme Court judge overseeing the case had been "creative" and done "everything the law does not say", adding that he would have to look more at the formal police accusation. His lawyer told Reuters he would wait to see the report before commenting.

Other accused individuals, including Braga Netto and former minister of institutional security General Augusto Heleno, have yet to issue statements.

Lawyers for Mr Heleno and aides for Mr Ramagem declined to comment.

The legal defences from Mr Netto and Mr Torres said they would wait to officially get the police report before commenting.

The formal police accusations against Mr Bolsonaro are a fresh blow to his plan to run for president in 2026. US President-elect Donald Trump’s recent victory had buoyed Mr Bolsonaro’s allies trying to overturn a court decision that has blocked him from public office for attacking the legitimacy of the 2022 vote.

Representatives for Mr Santos, Brazil’s defence ministry, and navy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The country’s army said it does not comment on ongoing processes from other bodies.

The police investigation was built on an extensive body of evidence, including plea agreements, financial and communication records, wiretaps and material seized during raids.

They said conspirators divided their efforts between spreading disinformation about the election, inciting the armed forces to join a coup, and operational support for "coup-mongering actions," along with legal support and intelligence.

Pro-Bolsonaro politicians criticised the allegations, with opposition leader Rogério Marinho calling them an example of "incessant persecution" of the right. Bolsonarista congressman Sóstenes Cavalcante declared, "The more they persecute Bolsonaro, the stronger he gets".

The Bolsonaro’s administration ended in 2022 after his narrow electoral defeat by Mr Lula. Following the loss, Mr Bolsonaro went into self-imposed exile in the United States while thousands of his supporters protested outside military bases, demanding intervention. These tensions culminated in the 8 January 2023 riots, during which Mr Bolsonaro loyalists stormed key government buildings in Brasília including presidential palace, congress and Supreme Court.

Mr Lula’s communications minister, Paulo Pimenta, expressed shock at the gravity of the accusations, stating, “These are very grave crimes [and] very serious accusations”.

He vowed that those responsible would face justice, adding that the government awaits the prosecutor’s decision on pursuing trials. Echoing widespread calls from progressive Brazilians, Mr Pimenta ended his statement with a bold declaration: "Bolsonaro in jail”.

Additional reporting by agencies