Newly released judicial documents have revealed that two former commanders informed police that Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro gave top military officials a plan to execute a coup d’état following his October 2022 election loss.

In testimonies released publicly on March 15, former Army Commander Marco Antônio Freire Gomes and former Air Force commander Carlos Baptista Júnior revealed that Bolsonaro conducted several meetings in December 2022 in which he showcased a document that would have fit as the foundation to overturn the results of the election, which he lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. They added that they tried to prevent him from doing so.  

The officials' testimony, released by the Supreme Court, makes it the first time that Bolsonaro has been directly named as actively trying to stay in power, which further snarls up Bolsonaro's legal position as he has been previously accused of scheming to remain in power. 

In recent weeks, Freire Gomes and Baptista Júnior were questioned by police as part of an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to smear Brazil’s electoral system and conduct a military coup to keep Bolsonaro in power. The testimonies of 25 other suspects and witnesses were also made released publicly on March 15.

Former army commander says

According to Freire Gomes’ statement, during meetings held following Bolsonaro’s election defeat, Bolsonaro presented military officials with multiple methods of nullifying the elections, one of which was announcing a state of siege. 

The former army commander informed the police that he warned Bolsonaro the army would not accept “any act of institutional rupture,” and that his actions could lead to his arrest.

Former Air Force commander says

The federal police documents revealed that former Air Force commander Baptista Júnior stated he attempted to change Bolsonaro's mind on taking “any extreme measure” and that he believed Freire Gomes’ position was important in stopping the use of the legal document.

Baptista Júnior, however, said that Almir Garnier, then navy commander, informed Bolsonaro that he would put his troops at his disposal.

“If the commander [Freire Gomes] had agreed, possibly, a coup d’etat attempt would have taken place,” Baptista Jr stated quoted by the federal police. 

Before the election, Bolsonaro constantly cast doubt on the competence of Brazil’s electoral system, and never officially conceded to Lula, but he always rejected that he plotted a coup.

A 2023 tantrum 

Supporters of Bolsonaro broke into the Planalto presidential palace and Congress building on January 8, 2023, in protest against leftist President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva who defeated far-right Bolsonaro in the presidential elections held on October 30, 2022. 

Hundreds of protesters holding the Brazilian flag stormed the national congress and took the roofs waving the country's flags despite attempts by security officers to contain the unrest, an AFP photographer reported.

Protesters also raided the Supreme Court building, which is located near the presidential palace.

It is worth noting that Lula was in Sao Paolo on official business at the time of the riots. Following the incident, the Brazilian President stated that "these vandals, whom we could call fanatical fascists, did what has never been done in the history of this country," adding that "all these people who did this will be found and punished."