Now ineligible for eight years, ex-President Bolsonaro is the subject of new investigations which could theoretically land him in prison.
A veritable human tide invaded one of the largest avenues of the Brazilian economic capital on Sunday. Flying the yellow and green Brazilian flag of Brazil, which has become the emblem of the Bolsonaristas, a crowd of around 185,000 people (according to estimates) gathered to show support for its hero, threatened by a new police investigation for which he theoretically risks being put in prison.
The far-right ex-president has claimed for months to be victim of political persecution since he left office a little over a year ago after his defeat by Lula, his successor.
The former soldier is now ineligible for eight years. Last June, he was convicted by Brazil’s highest court for abusing his power and casting unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system.
Accusations described as lies by the ex-president. Even worse: Brazilian police are now investigating whether the former president incited a failed coup after losing the 2022 election.
Federal police investigations also include military generals among those allegedly plotting a pro-Bolsonaro coup during riots in the capital Brasilia last year.
The ex-president is also accused of having illegally received jewelry from Saudi Arabia during his presidency.
During the protest, many participants complained that Bolsonaro was being persecuted by Brazil’s Supreme Court and claimed that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had unfairly won his narrow victory in the 2022 elections.
Some supporters also carried Israeli flags in a sign of defiance against the current president, who has faced widespread criticism at home for comparing the Israeli military offensive in Gaza to the Holocaust.
“What I’m looking for is pacification, it’s erasing the past”, Bolsonaro said in a speech as he himself held an Israeli flag. He also called for amnesty for those who participated in the storming of power buildings in Brasilia. “We are asking all 513 members of Congress and 81 senators for an amnesty bill so that justice can be done in Brazil.”
Even if he can no longer run for office until 2030, Jair Bolsonaro remains active in Brazilian politics as the main opponent of center-left Lula. But as this year’s municipal elections approach, the candidates have been divided between the two leaders.
Some of Bolsonaro’s allies aiming to oust Lula in the 2026 elections were also present, including influential governors Tarcisio de Freitas of Sao Paulo state and Romeu Zema of Minas Gerais state. But other key politicians and business leaders who aligned with him during his 2019-2022 presidency did not show up.
Carlos Melo, professor of political science at Insper University in Sao Paulo, predicted that the pro-Bolsonaro event would not improve the former president’s legal situation.