Overview
- Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former president, faces Supreme Court deliberations on March 25 to determine if he will stand trial for orchestrating a coup attempt after his 2022 election loss.
- Bolsonaro denies the charges, claiming political persecution, and has compared his situation to that of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
- The March 16 rally in Rio de Janeiro drew approximately 18,000 supporters, far fewer than the 1 million Bolsonaro had called for, signaling diminished political momentum.
- Prosecutors allege Bolsonaro's coup plans included efforts to poison President Lula and assassinate a Supreme Court justice, charges that could lead to a prison sentence exceeding 40 years.
- Bolsonaro's supporters demanded amnesty for over 400 individuals convicted for their roles in the January 8, 2023 riots, which targeted Brazil's government institutions in a bid to overturn Lula's presidency.