The previous commanders of Brazil‘s Military and Air Pressure advised police investigators that President Jair Bolsonaro summoned them twice to conferences to debate a potential coup d’état after his election defeat in 2022, in accordance with their testimonies launched on Friday by the Supreme Courtroom.
Their accounts place Bolsonaro on the middle of a plot to declare martial regulation and cease leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva coming to energy after he received the election that 12 months.
Regardless of mounting proof on the contrary, Bolsonaro has denied making an attempt a coup within the days after his election defeat, which he by no means conceded. He left for the USA to keep away from handing the presidential sash to Lula. Days later, his supporters stormed authorities buildings attempting to impress a coup.
Bolsonaro’s attorneys didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Of their depositions, former Military commander Marco Antonio Freire Gomes and Air Pressure commander Carlos de Almeida Baptista stated they each advised Bolsonaro they’d not help a coup, defusing any navy backing for the then-president’s plans.
Each navy chiefs implicated Navy commander Almir Garnier Santos within the coup plans. In a number of conferences, they stated, the admiral stated the Navy was able to again Bolsonaro in a navy rebellion.
Garnier Santos has not spoken publicly in regards to the investigation carried out by the Federal Police underneath directions from the Supreme Courtroom.
Different witnesses’ depositions
Past the 2 navy commanders, police have depositions by three different witnesses who straight implicate Bolsonaro as the principle conspirator behind the tried coup, a police supply advised Reuters.
The investigation will element a chronology of Bolsonaro’s makes an attempt to prepare a coup with members of his authorities, together with lively and retired navy officers, stated the supply who requested anonymity as a result of sensitivity of the case.
The navy commanders stated the conferences with Bolsonaro came about within the presidential residence.
Freire Gomes stated in his deposition that Bolsonaro offered a draft decree for declaring a state of siege. The retired basic stated it was the identical draft textual content discovered by police on the pc of Bolsonaro aide Mauro Cid, who’s underneath arrest and has entered a plea discount with the authorities.
The 2 commanders have been known as to a 3rd assembly with then Protection Minister Paulo Sergio Nogueira to debate the draft decree. They testified that once they requested the minister if the textual content implied that president-elect Lula could be barred from taking workplace, Nogueira didn’t reply.
They then refused to think about the textual content of the decree.
