Brazil ex-defense minister arrested in coup plot investigation
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Walter Souza Braga Netto, a close ally of ex-President Bolsonaro, was detained on suspicion of obstructing an investigation into an alleged 2022 coup attempt to undermine President Lula's inauguration.
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Brazilian Defense Minister Walter Souza Braga Netto attends a ceremony honoring military athletes who participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro, on September 1, 2021. (AP)
Braga Netto, a former defense minister and close supporter of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, was detained on Saturday on suspicion of hindering an investigation into an alleged 2022 coup attempt, according to a police source.
Brazil's Federal Police stated it has apprehended "people who would be obstructing" the probe, and the source reported Netto was one of those arrested in the operation.
In late November, police issued a report proposing that former far-right president Bolsonaro and several dozen friends be indicted for plotting a coup d'état to thwart leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's inauguration. Brazilian police detained five officers accused of involvement in a coup plot aimed at overthrowing the government and assassinating President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, authorities announced.
The list featured Netto, his running companion in the 2022 elections.
Attorney General Paulo Gonet has been investigating the claims to determine whether the evidence warrants charges against Bolsonaro and the 36 other alleged co-conspirators.
The 884-page report, produced after a nearly two-year police investigation, recommends Gonet arrest Bolsonaro and others for plotting a coup and attempting to "violently overthrow the democratic state."
It describes an alleged conspiracy between Bolsonaro and some of his officials, including members of his military brass, to claim fraud in the 2022 elections won by Lula and to use decrees to undermine the Supreme Court.
"The then-President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, actively participated in the creation of the coup plan, being directly involved in the drafting of documents and strategies to remain in power, even after the electoral defeat," according to the investigation.
The report also said Bolsonaro was "fully aware" of an alleged conspiracy by special troops to murder Lula, his vice president, and a Supreme Court judge.
The scheme, known as "Green and Yellow Dagger," was allegedly discussed at Netto's residence and investigators say it was printed at Brazil's presidential residence, the Planalto.
A draft of the coup plot was discovered in one of Netto's advisors' things at Bolsonaro's Liberal Party offices.
