Datafolha: 62% of Brazilians reject amnesty for January 8 coup plotters

Datafolha research released this Wednesday, 18th, shows that 62% of Brazilians reject a possible amnesty for participants in the coup acts of January 8th. Another 33% said they were in favor, 5% did not know and 1% were indifferent.

Datafolha interviewed 2,002 Brazilians over the age of 16 in 147 municipalities in the country. The margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points and the reliability index is 95%.

In the institute’s previous survey, carried out in March, 63% were against the amnesty, while 33% supported the measure. Indifferent amounted to 2% and another 4% were unable to respond. Considering the margin of error, the survey released this Wednesday shows a stagnation in Brazilians’ opinion on the topic.

According to Datafolha, support for amnesty is greater among men (37%), while 59% of the group are against it. Women who support the measure total 29%, while 64% support punishment for the coup plotters.

The groups that most support amnesty are those who voted for former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in 2022 (45%), unregistered employees (38%), businesspeople (37%) and evangelicals (37%).

On the other hand, those who most reject the extinction of punishments for coup plotters are those who voted for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in 2022 (72%), public employees (68%), students (68%) and the unemployed (67%).

Amnesty is one of the crucial themes of Bolsonaro politicians for the year 2025. In addition to extinguishing the sentences of those participating in the coup attempt, they intend to find an alternative that will allow Bolsonaro to participate in the 2026 presidential election. ineligible until 2030 after judgment by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) held in June.

Last month, Bolsonaro appealed to Lula and Federal Supreme Court (STF) minister Alexandre de Moraes, demanding that they accept an amnesty for those involved in January 8th. For the former president, the measure is essential to “pacify” the country.

“Now, if there was a word from Lula or Alexandre de Moraes regarding the amnesty, everything would be resolved. Don’t you want to pacify? Pacifica”, stated the former president, who continued: “I appeal to the ministers of the Federal Supreme Court, I appeal. Please rethink, we are going for an amnesty, it will be pacified”, he concluded.

In the Chamber of Deputies, a bill that seeks to amnesty coup plotters and benefit Bolsonaro is blocked. The process, which already faced obstacles due to the controversy surrounding the issue, became even more difficult after the indictment of the former president in the final report of the Federal Police (PF).

Authored by the leader of the Bolsonaro government in the Chamber, former deputy Major Vitor Hugo (PL-GO), the project grants amnesty to everyone who participated in “demonstrations” anywhere in the national territory on October 30, 2022 until the day the proposal comes into force. The text covers political and electoral crimes.

The PL sought to use the inclusion of the project in the Chamber’s agenda as a bargaining chip to support deputy Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB) as the successor to the president of Casa, Arthur Lira (PP-AL). However, Motta did not indicate that he would rush to put the issue to a vote, if elected.