Brazil’s ex-President Bolsonaro faces coup trial — here’s what to know
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Today, Brazil's Supreme Court puts a former president on trial.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Jair Bolsonaro is the country's former far-right leader. He's accused of plotting to stay in power after losing his 2022 reelection campaign. Many Brazilians see this trial as pivotal for their democracy. Bolsonaro has won support from overseas, where President Trump has tried to use U.S. power to stop the case.
INSKEEP: NPR's Carrie Kahn is covering the story from Rio de Janeiro. Hey there, Carrie.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Good morning.
INSKEEP: OK. Amazing story. What exact charges does the former president face?
KAHN: There are five charges, and they include attempting to violently end the Democratic rule of law, plotting a coup and forming part of an armed criminal organization. There are two other charges. There are lesser charges, and they're related to damage of property and historical items during the January 8, 2023, riots by Bolsonaro's supporters on the capital in Brasilia. Prosecutors say they have extensive evidence against Bolsonaro, including the discovery of a plot to assassinate President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Much of the evidence is in text messages, electronic communications and cellphone calls between Bolsonaro and the seven other defendants that are on trial today. Bolsonaro's closest aide took a plea deal for a reduced sentence and is the prosecution's key witness.
INSKEEP: Really interesting to hear that Bolsonaro's own words would be part of the evidence here. Has Brazil ever had a trial like this?
KAHN: This is unprecedented. There have been presidents accused of crimes before, but an ex-leader has not been successfully brought to trial for trying to overthrow the government. You know, Brazil's democracy is very young. It emerged from a military dictatorship just 40 years ago. So Bolsonaro's prosecution is really testing the strength of its institution, especially the judiciary and the Supreme Court, which hears criminal cases against politicians.
And the other unique thing about this is that there's a lot of intervention on the part of the United States. President Trump has said he is closely watching the case and has called it a witch hunt against Bolsonaro. He's demanded it be dropped. He slapped 50% tariffs against Brazil, and the U.S. has sanctioned the lead justice overseeing the case and revoked visas for many of the justices on the Supreme Court.
INSKEEP: All this before the Supreme Court has even judged the evidence. What does Bolsonaro say in his defense?
KAHN: He says he's done nothing wrong. He said if any discussions were had about not giving up power, they were all in search of constitutional ways to stay in the presidency. Bolsonaro has never conceded that he lost the election. His son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman here, actually moved to the U.S. to lobby the Trump administration for help for his father. And I spoke with him before the trial, and he praised Trump's intervention in the case.
EDUARDO BOLSONARO: Basically, Trump is restoring the democracy of Brazil.
KAHN: But there are also many in Brazil that are condemning the U.S. intervention in the case. And they've rallied around President Lula - the current president now - who says Trump is assaulting Brazil's sovereignty.
INSKEEP: I guess from what you're telling me that the Brazilians have resisted the U.S. pressure so far. The tariffs, for example, did not cause the Supreme Court justices to suddenly drop this case.
KAHN: No, not at all.
INSKEEP: So what happens now?
KAHN: The trial could last about two weeks. If convicted, Bolsonaro, who is 70 now, has few appeals ahead of him and could face as much as 40 years in prison. And then there are also concerns that if Bolsonaro's convicted, the U.S. will impose even more sanctions against Brazil.
INSKEEP: NPR's Carrie Kahn is in Rio de Janeiro. Thanks so much.
KAHN: You're welcome.
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