The 70-year-old former Brazilian president was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a failed coup.
Publicado en The New York Times, el 12 de septiembre de 2025
Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years
Brazil’s Supreme Court yesterday convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. Bolsonaro, who is 70, was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison.
A majority of the justices in the case voted to convict the former president along with seven co-conspirators, including his running mate, his defense minister and a navy commander.
The ruling is a milestone for the country: Brazil has had at least 15 coups and coup attempts with links to the military since the monarchy was overthrown in 1889, but this is the first time the leader of one was convicted.
Details: Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a vast conspiracy that included plans to dissolve the Supreme Court and to assassinate his opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, before he took office. Bolsonaro denied planning a coup but testified that he sought “ways within the Constitution” to remain in office.
Context: This is a blow to one of Latin America’s most important figures, and Bolsonaro’s political influence was on display in recent days as crowds across the country gathered to protest his prosecution. He energized a right-wing movement that transformed the nation, and his imprisonment would leave that movement without a clear leader.
What’s next: Bolsonaro’s lawyers are expected to request that he serve his time under house arrest because of his health problems. His conviction is likely to escalate the conflict between Brazil and the U.S. President Trump had tried to force Brazil to drop the case with steep tariffs — the highest he imposed on any country’s goods this year — and he has said that like him, Bolsonaro is being persecuted for trying to reverse a rigged election.