Produced in collaboration with SBS Portuguese
TRANSCRIPT
It's been one of the biggest, most divisive trials in Brazil's recent history.
A majority of the five-member panel of Brazil's Supreme Court has now convicted the former President Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a coup to stay as President despite losing the 2022 election.
Justice Carmen Lucia was among those voting to convict on all five charges he faced, siding with justices Alexandre de Moraes and Flavio Dino.
“I believe, and I will say upfront that to me, it provided conclusive proof, that a group led by Jair Messias Bolsonaro, composed of key figures from the government, the Armed Forces, and intelligence agencies, developed and implemented a progressive and systematic plan to attack democratic institutions with the aim of undermining the legitimate alternation of power in the 2022 elections and weakening the exercise of the other constitutional powers, especially the Judiciary.”
Bolsonaro's seven co-accused, including former ministers and military chiefs, were also convicted.
Justice Lucia says Mr Bolsonaro's actions were very serious, and indicative of the dangers facing democracies around the world.
“In the case of a criminal organization that sought power, that wanted to strike at and seize the soul of the Republic by preventing the validity of the electoral process, this is far more serious, far more widespread in society. And I recall, Mr. President, that it is neither infrequent nor uncommon, unfortunately—amid these times of so much news about the dismantling, the attempted dismantling of democratic institutions as conceived since the end of the world wars of the 20th century… Since then, we have seen the consolidation of democratic models. And in these recent years, in which we witness this so-called democratic erosion, the attempted democratic erosion, the electoral issue has been placed at its centre.”
One anti-Bolsonaro activist, Fabiano Leitão, says it's about time Bolsonaro was convicted.
“He should have been tried a long time ago. Brazil is proportionally the country that lost the most people in the pandemic due to incompetence, because the far right is a vehicle for the destruction of the country. Everything is destroyed; healthcare, science, technology, education, culture—everything is destroyed. So this is a historic moment for this country. May justice never overlook the crimes that this political group has committed against our people since the military dictatorship of 1964. So, comrades, justice is done.”
Bolsonaro can appeal the verdict to a full chamber of the Supreme Court.
But the court has already handed down its sentence.
The former president has been ordered to spend 27 years in prison, which means he could spend the rest of his life in jail.
Brazilian expatriate Deborah Leal Farias is a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales School of Social Sciences, and she's told SBS Portuguese the presumptive ruling makes Mr Bolsonaro the first former president in the country's history to be convicted for attacking democracy.
"Brazil has already had former presidents being found guilty of crimes. However, all of them were related to corruption charges. This one is different because it's related to an attempt against democratic processes. Brazil had never had that, and even also finding guilty people in the armed forces, which is something that is very, very new."
While the court has been deliberating, Mr Bolsonaro has been under house arrest, wearing a bracelet which electronically tags his whereabout.
"It's a supreme humiliation. I'm 70 years old, I was president of the Republic for four years, I haven't received any corruption allegations during my administration."
Speaking before the decision, the former leader said he fully expected to be found guilty.
"There's no doubt that the court will convict me. So much so that the full court is not even judging me; it's by a specific panel where Alexandre de Moraes has a certain amount of influence over the others. So I have no doubt, I'll be convicted."
US President Donald Trump has been a strong supporter of Mr Bolsonaro, who had been dubbed 'the Trump of the tropics'.
He says he's very surprised at the conviction.
"Well, I watched that trial. I know him pretty well. Foreign leader. He's a good, I thought he was a good president of Brazil. And it's very surprising that that could happen. That's very much like they tried to do with me. But they didn't get away with it at all. But I can always say this. I knew him as president of Brazil. He was a good man. And I don't see that happening."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the United States will respond accordingly to what he has called a politically motivated witch hunt.
Brazil's Foreign ministry posted on social media in response that Brazil would not be intimidated.
Deborah Leal Farias says the case has driven a deep wedge through Brazilian society, between those primarily on the left and those mainly on the right.
"For a lot of Brazilians and I would put myself in this block. I think this is actually a show of strength of Brazil's institutions. However, if you're a fan of former President Bolsa, the narrative is that this is a 'lawfare'*. The country is very polarised at this moment."
