Jair Bolsonaro remains silent before police in court hearing over ‘coup attempt’ in Brazil

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro he remained silent this Thursday during his police summons for his alleged involvement in a “coup plan” destined to remain in power after his mandate.

The leader of the far right He is suspected of having participated in a conspiracy which sought to discredit the electoral process and prevent left-wing leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking command of Brazil in January last year.

Bolsonaro defends his innocence and He claims to be the victim of “relentless persecution”.

The hearing, which lasted half an hour, at the headquarters of the Federal Police in Brasilia, It happened just three days after a street demonstration summoned by the former president (2019-2022) to San Pablo to reject the accusations.

Bolsonaro made no statements, said his defense, which regretted not having had sufficient access to the contents of the trial against him.

“The only reason he used silence was because “You respond to a semi-secret investigation today.”His lawyer Paulo Cunha said this in statements to journalists in front of the police headquarters.

Cunha added that his client “he was never in favor of any kind of coup movement.” “The former president fears nothing because he has not committed any crime,” he said.

The investigation led the police to launch Operation Tempus Veritatis (the hour of truth, in Latin) on 8 February. with dozens of raids and passport confiscations and arrests around Bolsonaro, who has been banned from leaving the country.

According to the local press, the far-right leader appeared before the police together with other alleged allies, including several former ministers, in several cities across the country.

It is the sixth time that the former president has appeared before the police making statements since leaving the presidency.

Last year he appeared for the alleged falsification of vaccination certificates against covid-19, as well as for the irregular entry into Brazil of precious jewels donated by Saudi Arabia.

He too had to declare himself on charges of inciting the riots of January 8, 2023.

That day, a week after Lula assumed his third term, thousands of Bolsonarists dissatisfied with the left’s victory in the October 2022 elections stormed the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court.

Bolsonaro, who was in the United States at the time, denies any incitement to riot and rejects that they were part of a preconceived plan. He also suggested that they were not his followers.

But according to the police, about two months earlier Bolsonaro had received and modified a decree in which he planned to arrest the president of the Superior Electoral Tribunal, Alexandre de Moraes, and to call new elections.

In the file of the alleged coup plan There is also a video of a meeting held on July 5, 2022three months before the elections in which Lula won.

The recording, released by the Supreme Court on February 9, shows Bolsonaro urging many of his ministers to do so launch a campaign against the electronic ballot system.

“If we react after the elections, there will be chaos in Brazil, a big guerrilla war,” the far right tells its ministers in the video.

The investigation into the alleged coup was ordered by Moraes, responsible for several investigations against the former president and his entourage.

Moraes, also a Supreme Court justice, He is a constant target of Bolsonaro’s criticism.

The defense requested that Moraes be removed from the case, arguing that he lacked “the impartiality necessary to carry out his duties”.

He also asked for his client’s statement to be sent back to the police.

The Supreme Court denied both.

Despite numerous investigations since he left the presidency 14 months ago, the 68-year-old former army captain He remained at the head of the opposition.

And although In June he was politically disqualified until 2030 due to misinformation, he said Wednesday he was “convinced” he could reverse this “injustice.”

Regarding Sunday’s demonstration in Sao Paulo, he promised it would be a “peaceful event” to show “Brazil and the world a picture of green and yellow” – the national colors – and deny the suspicions against him.