Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, is accused of attempting a coup

Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, has been officially accused with trying to stage a coup after losing the 2022 presidential race.

The chief prosecutor of the nation has filed charges against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, accusing him of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential race.

Bolsonaro is charged by the nation’s top prosecutor with heading a criminal organization that aimed to stop President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office.

Among the five counts against Bolsonaro, 69, are conspiring to kill Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and poison President Lula. The former head of state has denied any misconduct and described the case as an attack with political motivations.

At this point, the Supreme Court will determine whether to have a trial. Bolsonaro will be legally charged and put on trial along with 33 other people, including military leaders and political friends, if the investigation proceeds.

Because Bolsonaro erroneously claimed that Brazil’s electronic voting system was susceptible to fraud, he was previously barred from standing for office for eight years. The riots on January 8, 2023, in which hundreds of his supporters seized government facilities in Brasília, were the result of his unwillingness to accept loss in the 2022 election.

Three months ago, a federal police report accused Bolsonaro of planning the coup attempt and enlisting important military leaders to help. He and his supporters allegedly worked together to rig the election, according to the prosecution.

The case has exacerbated political differences in Brazil. Supporters of Bolsonaro maintain that he is being persecuted, while his opponents applaud the charges and claim he should be imprisoned. Although he has been banned from politics, Bolsonaro is still a strongman in Brazil and may use the trial to mobilize his supporters before upcoming elections.

The trial is anticipated to be heard by the Supreme Court later this year, a decision that could significantly alter Brazil’s political climate.