Bolsonaro Indicted: Attempted Coup and Election Defeat Fallout

Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has been charged with attempting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet and federal authorities allege that Bolsonaro and 33 others orchestrated a scheme to undermine Brazil's electoral system.

Brazil's prosecutor-general filed charges this Tuesday against former President Jair Bolsonaro. The charges accuse him of attempting a coup to stay in office after his 2022 electoral defeat to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

It's alleged by Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet that Bolsonaro, alongside 33 others, engaged in a plan to retain power despite lost elections.

In November, the Federal Police presented an 884-page report to Gonet. This document indicates that the plan involved breeding public distrust of the electoral system, drafting decrees to provide a semblance of legality, coercing military leaders, and sparking riots.