Brazil The Senate has voted by a majority of 48 to 25 in favor of a bill that would significantly reduce the prison sentence of the right-wing extremist ex-president Jair Bolsonaro provides. If the law goes into effect, his 27-year prison sentence could be reduced to just over two years. Previously this had already happened House of Commons approved the controversial project. The bill is now before the President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for signing.
Lula announced that he would veto the law. However, this could be overruled by Congress.
The Supreme Court Brazil Bolsonaro only had one in September planned coup sentenced. The judges found it proven that he had led a “criminal organization” with the aim of violently overturning his election defeat against his left-wing successor Lula in 2022. The 70-year-old Bolsonaro began his prison sentence in November.
US government lifts sanctions against judges
Last Sunday, thousands of people demonstrated in the country’s major cities against a reduced sentence for the ex-president. It is estimated that almost 19,000 people gathered in Rio de Janeiro alone. On posters they demanded “No amnesty” and called Congress an “enemy of the people.” There were also protests in São Paulo and the capital Brasília.
Meanwhile, the US government last week lifted sanctions against Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes. De Moraes initiated the proceedings against Bolsonaro. A US government official suggested a connection between the lifting of sanctions and the proposed amnesty law. Bolsonaro’s putschists are said to have planned the killing of President Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin and Judge de Moraes themselves as part of the attempted coup.
