How the summit of the alleged coup plot, according to the PGR report

Former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and 33 others were reported on Tuesday (18) by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) for the crimes of violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law, attempted coup, criminal organization , damage qualified by violence and serious threat, as well as deterioration of listed assets. If convicted, the accused can take up to 34 years in prison.

The complaint, based on the Federal Police report (PF), points out Bolsonaro as leader of a group that acted to prevent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) after the 2022 elections. According to investigators, the criminal organization was highly structured and operated through six nuclei with specific functions:

• Disinformation nucleus and attacks on the electoral system
• Military Incitement Center
• Legal core
• Operational Center for Support for Scammer Actions
• Parallel Intelligence Center
• High Patent and Support Officers

PGR decided to slice the accusations, presenting five separate complaints against different groups within the organization. Bolsonaro was denounced alongside former ministers Braga Netto (Civil House), Paulo Sérgio Nogueira (Defense), Anderson Torres (Justice) and Augusto Heleno (GSI), as well as former ABIN director-general, Alexandre Ramagem, and Former Navy Commander, Almir Garnier.

Coup plan

According to the prosecution, since 2021 Bolsonaro and his allies began to create an environment of distrust regarding the electoral system, promoting systematic attacks on the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and the electronic ballot boxes.

According to the investigators, this speech was used to prepare the land for an institutional rupture if the result of the 2022 elections was unfavorable to the then president.

The document reveals that, in March 2021, members of the Central Nucleus of the Organization considered the possibility of Bolsonaro disobeying orders from the Supreme Court (STF) and prepared a contingency plan for the former president to run away from the country if the forces were reaction Armed.

Investigations have identified manuscripts, spreadsheets and messages that prove the intention to create a permanent discourse on alleged electronic ballot fraud. The strategy provided for continuous repetition of these allegations to delegitimize the electoral outcome and prepare the pocket militancy for a possible coup attempt.

In July 2021, Bolsonaro made a live broadcast directly from the Planalto Palace, reinforcing unfounded suspicions about the electoral system and extolling the role of the Armed Forces. From that moment, according to the complaint, his speech became more aggressive, stimulating the indignation of his supporters and preparing the way for a more direct action against the institutions.

Strategists of the coup

According to PGR, the group’s central core tried to co -opt members of the Armed Forces to join the coup plan. One of the main moments of this articulation occurred in July 2022, during a ministerial meeting in which Bolsonaro and his allies discussed strategies to prevent Lula’s possession.

The inquiry highlights a speech of one of the reported generals, who said: “What has to be done has to be done before the elections. If you have to punch the table, it is before the elections. If you have to turn the table, it’s before the elections. ”

Investigators also point out that the plan included the arrest of Supreme Court and Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG). Initially, the scammer draft provided for Gilmar Mendes’s inclusion among the targets, but Bolsonaro would have requested the removal of the minister’s name, keeping only Alexandre de Moraes.

“The investigations revealed a terrifying operation of the coup execution, which even admitted to the death of the President of the Republic and the vice-president of the Republic, as well as that of ministers of the Federal Supreme Court,” cites the report of PGR.

In addition to military co -optation, the complaint mentions attempts to interference in the elections. During the second round, the group used the Federal Highway Police (PRF) to hinder the access of northeastern voters to the polls, in an action that mainly aimed at voters of the petista candidate.

The complaint also cites the meeting of July 18, 2022, in which Bolsonaro summoned ambassadors to disseminate false accusations of fraud at the ballot box. According to the PGR, this meeting aimed to prepare the international community to justify a possible coup.

Institutional rupture

The inquiry reveals that, after Bolsonaro’s defeat at the polls, the group maintained the attacks on the institutions and encouraged demonstrations in front of army barracks. The idea was to create a climate of instability and press the military summit to join the intervention.

In November 2022, army officers linked to the coup plan held meetings to try to convince the high command of the force to support a coup. These military, identified as members of the Army Special Forces, were trained in intelligence missions and clandestine operations.

Investigations show that an army general even guaranteed Bolsonaro that if he signed an institutional breakdown, there would be military support to consummate the coup. However, the resistance of part of the military summit frustrated the group’s plans.

Faced with the failure of the attempted institutional coup, the criminal organization began to encourage the escalation of violence.

“Frustration dominated the members of the criminal organization who, however, did not give up the violent outlet of power not even after the inauguration of the elected President,” says an excerpt from the complaint.

Campaigns for military intervention continued with the support and guidance of the organization. The last hope of the organization was in the demonstration of January 8. Its members exchanged messages, pointing out that they still awaited a “good news”.

The organization encouraged the mobilization of people in front of the Army Headquarters in Brasilia, asking for military intervention in politics. Protesters descended the entire avenue that connects the Urban Military Sector to the National Congress, accompanied and escorted by military police from the Federal District. The endeavor resulted in the invasion and destruction of the buildings of the three powers.

According to the complaint, the attacks on Congress, the STF and the Planalto Palace were the group’s last attempt to reverse the electoral result through force. The document points out that there was facilitation of acts by public agents, including members of the Federal District Security Forces.

The PGR maintains that Bolsonaro and his allies played an active role in the mobilization of scammers, providing moral and material support for the demonstrations. The accusation points out that the false narrative of election fraud has been widely disseminated in social networking groups on social networks, creating an environment conducive to the radicalization of the former president’s supporters.

STF will decide whether Bolsonaro becomes a defendant

The complaint filed by the PGR will now be analyzed by the Supreme Federal Court (STF). If the court accepts the prosecution, Bolsonaro and the other accused will become defendants and will respond criminally for the acts investigated.

The defense of the former president has already indicated that he intends to question the impartiality of Minister Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur of the case in the Supreme Court. Bolsonaro denies any involvement in an attempted coup and claims to be a victim of political persecution.

If convicted, Bolsonaro may face penalties that, added up to 34 years in prison. The trial is expected to take place over 2025.