Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro “planned” and “effectively and directly” controlled projects aimed at trying to prevent the inauguration of current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, according to a federal police report declassified on Tuesday.
“The evidence obtained by the investigation unequivocally demonstrates” Bolsonaro’s actions in these plans, woven after Lula’s victory in the October 2022 elections, says the report, sent Tuesday to the Attorney General’s Office, which will decide on it. formal indictment. the former president and 36 others involved.
The investigation’s summary, which runs to 884 pages, details the turbulent political process unleashed in Brazil after these elections, in which Lula triumphed over Bolsonaro, then in power, by a narrow margin of less than 2 points. result not recognized by the leader of the extreme right.
Among the 37 accused, in addition to Bolsonaro, are active and reserve military leaders, former ministers, relatives and even Valdemar Costa Neto, president of the Liberal Party (PL), led by the former president.
The report contains hundreds of messages exchanged by those involved via messaging services, as well as audio and images that police say support accusations of alleged crimes of “violent abolition of the democratic state”, “coup d’état”. and “unlawful association”.
Among the plans are the preparation of a possible assassination attempt against Lula, his running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and Judge Alexandre de Moraes, member of the Supreme Court, at the time president of the Electoral Tribunal and now rapporteur of this matter.
The assassination plans, called by the putschists themselves “Operation Green and Yellow Dagger”, in reference to the colors of the Brazilian flag, were printed at the headquarters of the Presidential Palace, according to what the federal police say they have verified.
Regarding this specific plan, the report indicates that “on November 9, 2022, after preparing and printing the document” at the Presidential Palace, General Mario Fernandes, one of those involved, went to the official residence of the presidency , where Bolsonaro was, although he does not specify whether the ultra leader received him.
In addition to Bolsonaro, among the accused is Walter Braga Netto, reserve general and former minister of the Presidency and Defense, candidate for vice-president in 2022.
There is also Almir Garnier Santos, former Navy commander, and retired generals Augusto Heleno and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, who were part of Bolsonaro’s cabinet, who denied all accusations and called himself a victim of ” political persecution.
