Brazil鈥檚 stand for rule by law 鈥� and civilians
In a first, the Supreme Court has convicted a former president for plotting a coup, marking a break from a history of military disregard for democratic government.
In a first, the Supreme Court has convicted a former president for plotting a coup, marking a break from a history of military disregard for democratic government.
Latin America鈥檚 largest nation has marked a decisive break with a legacy of multiple military coups and attempted coups: For the first time in its history, Brazil tried and convicted the instigators of the most recent plot to overthrow a democratically elected government.
Voting 4-1, a panel of Supreme Court justices sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison, after finding him and seven others guilty. They had planned to overturn the 2022 election with military force and also assassinate current President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva (commonly known as Lula) and his deputy. But in trial depositions, the top Brazilian army and air force commanders stated they told Mr. Bolsonaro, a former army captain, that they would not support a coup.
The military high command鈥檚 response, four decades after the last junta ceded power, confirms Brazilians鈥� established respect for civilian authority and little desire to return to rule by generals. Unelected officers, trained for warfare, are unskilled in governing civilian society or running an economy.
鈥淲e have already lived through dictatorships, and we don鈥檛 want any more,鈥� The New York Times reported Lula as saying in July.
Nonetheless, the trajectory of civilian rule has not exactly been smooth. 鈥淭he Supreme Court has increasingly taken on a responsibility for cleaning up politics鈥� in recent years, a Brazilian law professor told Monitor contributor Constance Malleret.
And the court鈥檚 ruling will test democratic resilience as there remain concerns over procedure, speed of the trial, and the scope of jurisdiction.
Having lost the previous election by only 2%, Mr. Bolsonaro still has sizable support 鈥� and a powerful ally in United States President Donald Trump. In July, Mr. Trump levied 50% tariffs on most imports from Brazil partly for what he called a 鈥渨itch hunt鈥� against a 鈥済ood man.鈥� The U.S. has also imposed banking and visa sanctions on government officials, including Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who last year fined the social media platform X for spreading election misinformation.
But according to the Atlantic Council think tank, U.S. actions have boosted Lula at home and also shifted the country鈥檚 geopolitics. He successfully revived lagging trade negotiations with the European Union, and he has strengthened ties with China and India.
For now, Brazil鈥檚 elected leader is holding firm to the principles of national sovereignty and judicial process.
鈥淭he Supreme Court of a country has to be respected not only by its own country, but it has to be respected by the world,鈥� he told The New York Times.