According to court documents, top military leaders in Brazil have accused former President Jair Bolsonaro of trying to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election. The documents reveal that Bolsonaro allegedly presented a plan to the former commanders of the country’s army and air force, who refused to accept his proposal. They warned Bolsonaro that his actions could lead to his arrest.
These allegations have emerged as part of multiple investigations that Bolsonaro is facing before Brazil’s Supreme Court. The court filings include a federal police report that describes unscheduled meetings held by Bolsonaro at the presidential palace after the 2022 election. In one of these meetings, Bolsonaro reportedly discussed creating a commission to investigate the electoral process and suggested using a decree to declare a state of siege.
Former Air Force commander Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior also rejected Bolsonaro’s efforts and credits General Freire Gomes for preventing the former president from attempting to reverse the election results. The court filings state that Gomes had warned Bolsonaro that if he tried to do so, he would have to arrest him.
Prosecutors are investigating whether Bolsonaro and his inner circle were involved in a plot to overturn the election through a military coup. Police confiscated Bolsonaro’s passport in February as part of the investigation. Bolsonaro had already been deemed ineligible to run for office until 2030 due to spreading false claims about the election.
Investigators are also looking into Bolsonaro’s potential connections to the riots that occurred in Brasilia on January 8, 2023, following his defeat in the election. Despite his loss, Bolsonaro and his allies have refused to concede and have suggested that the election results were fraudulent.