In a major political development, Brazil's Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others in a coup and assassination plot targeting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Brazil's political atmosphere has taken an alarming turn as the Federal Police on Thursday arrested former President Jair Bolsonaro along with 36 others according to Breitbart.
These individuals are accused of plotting to poison and kill President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Federal Tribunal Minister Alexandre de Moraes.
Following the indictment, investigations revealed an intricate plan named "Green and Yellow Dagger." The plot reportedly aimed to alter the outcome of the 2022 presidential elections, where Bolsonaro was defeated. The involved parties reportedly aimed to implement this before Lula could take his presidential oath.
Bolsonaro rose to international recognition due to his close friendship with President-elect Donald Trump, and the two are reportedly still quite close.
Apart from Bolsonaro, the indictment lists significant figures such as Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp, Mauro Cid, and Valdemar Costa Neto, president of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party. Also implicated are former administration members and select military personnel from the "black kids" Special Forces unit.
Documents outlining the assassination plans were discovered to have been printed inside significant government buildings, including the Alvorada Palace and the president's office, on key dates leading up to the supposed execution day.
The criminal organization, allegedly led by Bolsonaro, is said to have planned the assassination for December 15, 2022. This shocking revelation has stirred significant unrest within the nation's democratic foundations.
Jair Bolsonaro reacted publicly to the indictment. He criticized Alexandre de Moraes, the STF Minister overseeing the investigation, blaming him for biased investigative practices and hinting at a creatively skewed advisory board manipulating the process against him.
Bolsonaro stated, “We have to see what’s in this Federal Police indictment. I’ll wait for the lawyer. Obviously, this will go to the Attorney General’s Office,” suggesting that his real battle would begin there.
The evidence supporting these serious allegations, according to the Federal Police, includes data from breaches, plea bargains, and judiciary-authorized searches, which took nearly two years to compile.
Details revealed from the investigation show that the plotters had extensively planned the human and military resources needed for the assassination and subsequent management of the fallout. They intended to establish an ‘Institutional Crisis Management Office’ composed of the investigated parties themselves.
This office would supposedly handle any institutional conflicts following the coup, revealing the coup's planned depth and the anticipated reaction from various government sectors.
Authorities are taking this plot seriously, with each charge carrying a potential sentence ranging from three to 12 years. These charges include “coup,” “violent abolition of the democratic rule of law,” and “organized crime.”
These indictments mark Bolsonaro's third since leaving his presidential post, with prior charges involving embezzlement and falsifying COVID-19 vaccine data.
The case will head to the Attorney General's Office on November 25 for further proceedings and necessary legal steps will be determined within 15 days from its receipt.
The case could potentially go to trial between March and June 2025. This development casts a long shadow over Brazil's political stability and the integrity of its democratic processes.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has publicly addressed surviving the planned assassination. He expressed gratitude for his life in a remark that highlights both relief and a core wish not to retaliate but to prove his governance through performance and service to the nation.
The details unearthed by extensive police investigations outline not only the targeted violence but also plans for managing post-coup institutional tensions. As Brazil's society reflects on these events, the true test will be maintaining its democratic integrity through the upcoming legal processes.