President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva briefly addressed the indictment filed by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) against former president Jair Bolsonaro and 33 other co-defendants. They are accused of attempting to violently abolish the democratic rule of law, organizing a coup d’état, forming a criminal organization, causing aggravated damage, and posing a serious threat to federal property and the deterioration of listed property.
Lula stated he could not comment on the ongoing trial but assured that the accused have the right to a full defense. Should they prove their innocence, the Brazilian legal system guarantees they will face no consequences.
“The only thing I can say is that in this country—as long as I govern Brazil—everyone has the presumption of innocence. If they prove that they didn’t attempt to stage a coup or try to kill the president, the vice president, and the president of the Supreme Court, they’ll be free and able to travel throughout Brazil. If the judge concludes they are guilty, they must face the consequences.”
The PGR’s complaint outlines that the central aim of those involved in the coup attempt was to prevent the 2022 presidential election results from being implemented and to stop Lula from taking office. The plan allegedly involved keeping Bolsonaro in power and even conspiring to eliminate the elected president, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court minister Alexandre de Moraes.
The prosecutor’s office details how the core group of the organization, including former head of Brazil’s federal police Alexandre Rodrigues Ramagem, former Navy commander Almir Garnier Santos, former Justice Minister Anderson Gustavo Torres, former Defense Minister Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira, former Army officer Mauro César Barbosa Cid, former Defense Minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira, former Chief of Staff Walter Souza Braga Netto, and Bolsonaro himself, worked on several fronts to achieve these objectives.
Discussion on Trump and trade tariffs
Lula addressed the matter shortly after a signing ceremony with Portugal’s Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, at the Planalto Palace. Montenegro was asked if he perceived any risks in the actions of the current President of the United States, Donald Trump, who has threatened a series of tariffs on other nations. The Prime Minister advocated for dialogue between nations.
“Our stance is straightforward. We support free and fair-trade rules. Therefore, we believe imposing tariffs with protectionist intentions unilaterally is not the best approach. Mutual understanding is necessary. In my view, the escalation of protectionist measures may initially bring some positive economic effects but will ultimately lead to price increases, causing medium-term economic discomfort for those who pursue this path.”
