Relatives and allies of conservative former President Jair Bolsonaro led a peaceful walk in Brasília on Tuesday calling for amnesty for the Brazilian men and women imprisoned for their participation in the January 8, 2023, riots.
Participants of the peaceful event reportedly called for lawmakers to approve a “broad, general, and unrestricted” amnesty that, if passed, would overturn former President Jair Bolsonaro’s dubious “coup” conviction.
The demonstration took place in the afternoon at the Esplanade of the Ministries, a vast area in the capital city that houses the headquarters of Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), and Planalto presidential palace. On January 8, 2023, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the three government buildings, causing significant damage to the facilities, furniture, and priceless historical artifacts housed therein. No deaths and only minimal injuries were documented during the incident.
Former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, one of Jair Bolsonaro’s sons, accompanied other political allies on behalf of the former president and families of individuals convicted by the STF for their involvement in the riots. According to the outlet Poder 360, former First Lady Bolsonaro cried during the peaceful demonstration.
Some of the participants wore shirts bearing the Brazilian flag and waved American and Israeli flags. Other participants carried signs and posters in Portuguese and English calling for the annulment of the convictions against Jair Bolsonaro and those convicted for their participation in the riots.
“You were amazing! All this effort will go down in history as the moment when true patriots came out in defense of democracy! Brazil’s recovery has already begun, and you are an essential part of it,” Senator Bolsonaro wrote on social media.
According to the STF, the January 8 riots were part of a broader “coup” plot led by former President Bolsonaro and several others who allegedly sought to overturn the narrow results of the 2022 presidential election, in which a then-incumbent Bolsonaro lost against current radical leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is now serving his third term. Bolsonaro was not physically present in Brazil when the riots took place, as he was visiting the United States at the time.
In September, the STF convicted and sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years and 3 months prison time for his alleged role in the “coup” plot. At press time, the STF has not determined in which prison Bolsonaro will serve his sentence. The former president remains under strict house arrest and constant surveillance since August by order of STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Former President Jair Bolsonaro is legally unable to issue public comments on any matter, utilize any kind of phone device, or make use of social media platforms as per the terms of his draconian house arrest.
Bolsonaro was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, an “intermediate” form of skin cancer, after doctors found the carcinoma in two out of eight skin lesions surgically removed from his body in mid-September. Weeks later, the 70-year-old former president suffered a new health complication that prompted an urgent overnight visit from his chief medical doctor, Cláudio Birolini.
The STF said in August that, as of August 12, the top court has 1,628 criminal cases filed in relation to January 8, 2023. Out of the total, the STF detailed, it has held 1,190 people responsible for “anti-democratic” acts committed — 638 of whom have been tried and convicted, and 552 of whom reached agreements with the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) over their “less serious crimes.”
The peaceful Tuesday afternoon event took place at a time when Brazilian Congressmen are negotiating the inclusion of an amnesty bill proposal in next week’s legislative agenda.
According to Congressman Paulinho da Força, the bill’s rapporteur, lawmakers agreed to vote on the matter on Tuesday, October 14, but stressed that it is up to the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta.
“We have made significant progress, we have adjusted this situation well and we have also adjusted the paths, which also have to be agreed with the Senate. Hugo is talking to [Senate President Davi] Alcolumbre,” Força told reporters on Tuesday.
CNN Brasil reported on Tuesday that although the lawmakers already approved giving urgent treatment to the amnesty bill, ongoing negotiations aim to reduce the penalties for those convicted of “anti-democratic acts,” with opposition lawmakers’ text to be more comprehensive and beneficial to former President Jair Bolsonaro. Força reportedly met with Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to discuss the proposal. Senator Bolsonaro reportedly said he was not convinced and reiterated that he will continue to seek a broad amnesty.
According to Brazilian outlets, Brazilian lawmakers are mainly disagreeing on the possibility of extending the amnesty to Jair Bolsonaro and others convicted for allegedly “masterminding” the events of January 8, 2023.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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