Brasília, Brazil — In a historic ruling, Brazil’s Supreme Court has sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison for orchestrating a failed coup attempt following his 2022 electoral defeat.
A panel of five justices found Bolsonaro guilty on all five counts, including:
- Plotting a coup d’état
- Participating in an armed criminal organization
- Attempting to dismantle Brazil’s democratic order by force
- Committing violent acts against state institutions
- Damaging protected public property
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who led the proceedings, declared Bolsonaro had sought to “annihilate the essential pillars of the democratic rule-of-law state” and reinstate dictatorship in Brazil.
Prosecutors traced the conspiracy back to 2021, citing Bolsonaro’s efforts to undermine public trust in Brazil’s electoral system. The plot culminated on January 8, 2023, when thousands of his supporters stormed and vandalized the Supreme Court, Congress, and presidential palace in Brasília.
Bolsonaro, currently under house arrest, denies all charges. His legal team has announced plans to appeal the verdict to the full 11-member Supreme Court.
🇺🇸 U.S. Reaction: Tariffs and Sanctions
The conviction has triggered diplomatic friction with the United States. President Donald Trump condemned the trial as a “witch hunt,” imposing 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports and announcing visa restrictions against Justice de Moraes and other court officials.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva responded sharply, accusing Washington of “helping stage a coup” and warning that Brazil “will not forget it”.
This marks the first time a former Brazilian president has been convicted of attempting a coup, a decision that analysts say could reshape Brazil’s political landscape and its relations with global powers
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