The lower house of Brazil’s Congress has approved a bill that could do this Former President Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence will be reduced by up to 25 yearswho is imprisoned for planning a coup.
The proposal requires Senate approval and is likely to face one veto of the President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, could allow Bolsonaro to leave prison in just over two yearssaid the project manager. The right-wing extremist populist was sentenced to 27 years in prison in September for conspiring to illegally retain power. after defeat in the 2022 elections.
The legislator who promotes the project Paulinho da Forcasaid the measure, approved in the early hours of Wednesday morning, was aimed at “Pacify Brazil“.
The proposal that is now accepted senatewould also grant indulgences to the co-authors of the coup attempt and to Bolsonaro’s sympathizers who were involved in the attack. attempted rebellion almost three years ago.
Lula – who the conspirators allegedly wanted to murder – has said this before would veto an amnesty bill, although Congress can override the president’s veto with a simple majority. But even if lawmakers approve it, it could be overturned by the Supreme Court, which hears coup and insurrection cases, according to legal experts.
In scenes reminiscent of the attack on the United States Capitol two years earlier, On January 8, 2023, hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters broke into and looted the country’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace.. They called on the military to depose Lula, days after the leftist leader took office.
The controversial project is based on an action by relatives of the perpetrators on January 8th They argued that the penalties were excessively severe. More than 1,000 people were sentenced to prison sentences of up to 17 years. The Supreme Court said in August that 112 people were in prison, 44 were under house arrest and another 29 were in preventive detention.
The trailer also shows that the legacy of turbulent events – which followed a bitter and deeply divisive election that Lula narrowly won – is far from resolved in Latin America’s largest country. A Genial/Quaest poll in October found that 47% were against amnesty and 35% were in favor.
“This is very bad for Brazil and indicates that we will have a highly polarized election next year“said Eduardo Grin, professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, adding that the project has a chance of being approved in the Senate.
Bolsonaro’s allies have called for one full apology for everyone involved. The former army captain has suffered from health problems since his knife attack in 2018.
I’m looking ahead the presidential elections next yearthe senator Flavio Bolsonaro, The former president’s son said last week that he has his father’s support right-wing candidate. After his announcement, financial markets fellsuggesting that investors give him little chance of success and would prefer a more moderate conservative to face veteran politician Lula, 80.
Flávio has stated that he will withdraw from the race if his father appears on the ballotan outcome that is considered unlikely. Even before his conviction, Bolsonaro was banned from running for office until 2030 due to election campaign violations.
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