Brazilian police indict former President Jair Bolsonaro on coup attempt charges

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - Brazilian Federal Police indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others Thursday for attempting a coup following the 2022 presidential elections.

The Federal Police for the past two years have investigated Bolsonaro and loyalists believed to be part of a criminal organization that sought to violently subvert the election of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin in October 2022.

The investigation climaxed with Bolsonaro and the 36 collaborators, including advisors and former ministers during his tenure, accused of coup charges and violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, police said.

Among the 37 people involved is Walter Braga Neto, former minister of defense and chief of staff, and vice presidential candidate in Bolsonaro's reelection, who is allegedly said to have planned violent action against members of the military who opposed the coup.

The investigations said the plotters were organized in six different task groups: disinformation and attacks on the electoral system; responsible for inciting military personnel to join the coup; legal; operational support for coup actions; parallel intelligence and the operational center for the enforcement of coercive measures.​​​​​​​

More than 800 pages of the report of the investigation have been submitted to the Brazilian Supreme Court.

The Attorney General's Office will bring charges against the accused before the Supreme Court.

Bolsonaro and his allies will be tried if the Court accepts the charges.