Brazilians staged rivalries on the day of the country’s Independence Day just before the start of Jair Bolsonaro’s trial on suspicion of plotting a coup following his election defeat in 2022.
In an apparent nod to President Donald Trump, a ally of the far-right former leader, tens of thousands of Bolsonaro’s supporters gathered on Sunday in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and the capital, Brasilia, waving the flags of Brazil and the United States.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
In cities like Brasilia and Sao Paulo, hundreds of others gathered to support Bolsonaro’s conviction.
If the former army captain, who has been under house arrest, is found guilty of plotting a coup to maintain control despite his election defeat, he faces a maximum sentence of 43 years in prison.
Trump is angry about the allegations made by Bolsonaro, who has also disputed them.
Bolsonaro’s legal case has been referred to as a “witch-hunt,” the US president said, and the justices who presided over his trial have been subject to severe tariffs.
According to a research group at the University of Sao Paulo, including Michelle Bolsonaro’s wife, the former leader’s wife, the rally for Bolsonaro in Sao Paulo attracted 40, 000 supporters.
He is suffering, but he loves his people and his country. I say to him every day that he will triumph. Michelle Bolsonaro delivered a tearful speech in the city praising God’s response to our nation.
By Friday, Brazil’s Supreme Court is expected to render its decision.
‘ Bolsonaro 2026 ‘
The former president’s eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, told Rio de Janeiro’s crowd at Copacabana Beach that his father will face the situation head-on “to demonstrate yet again that he will not give up on Brazil.”
Although his father is prohibited from running, the senator wore a shirt with the slogan “Bolsonaro 2026.” Additionally, he called the case’s reporter, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a dictator.
Bolsonaro’s supporters, in contrast, argued that the former leader was innocent.
He would have succeeded if he had wished to continue in power. Former military officer Suieton Souza, who was wearing a sarong while mingling the US and Brazilian flags on Copacabana Beach, said that Brazilians needed to “wake up.”
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was present at the annual Independence Day military parade in Brasilia, but there were fewer Bolsonaro supporters there.
Following Trump’s punitive 50% US tariffs, Lula led the traditional parade, which this year had the theme “Sovereign Brazil.”
In yet another reference to Trump, Lula said in a national message on Saturday night in advance of Independence Day celebrations that Brazil “will not be anyone’s colony.”
We “achieved our sovereignty years ago,” Lula said.
“We are not and will never again be a part of anyone.” Without the interference of any foreign governments, he continued, “We can take care of our own land and people.”
Those who support Trump’s tariffs were criticized as traitors by some at the military parade in Brasilia.
According to professor Helio Barreto, “the Trump government has attempted to invade Brazil politically by influencing our adversaries politically by imposing tariffs and sanctions.”
We advise him to “get your big feet out” in order for him to respect Brazil!
According to Lucia Newman, a journalist from Brasilia, Trump has accused Brazil and members of the BRICS group, which include China and Russia, of trying to devalue the US dollar, which has heightened tensions.
Trump is threatening to impose more tariffs on BRICS nations, but President Lula has requested an urgent teleconference meeting of BRICS leaders on Monday to discuss a possible response, according to Newman.
Brazilians are gearing up for yet more US sanctions as they commemorate their independence, along with Bolsonaro’s trial.
Amnesty requests are made
In Sao Paulo, thousands of people rallied earlier on Sunday to protest a proposal to offer Bolsonaro amnesty and hundreds of his supporters who were found guilty of the January 8, 2023 storming of the Supreme Court, the presidential palace, and the Congress in Brasilia.
The riots resembled the two-year-old attack on the US Capitol.
Leaders of centrist and opposition parties are guiding the amnesty project.
In a recent post on social media, Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, one of the proposal’s backers, said that “historical history has already demonstrated that amnesty and forgiveness are the best ways to pacify the country.”
The governor’s efforts to advance the amnesty project have been widely viewed as a strategic move to sway the former leader’s support for a potential run for president in 2026, something Freitas has so far refuted.
Lula has criticised the governor’s actions, warning that any amnesty for those who participated in the mayhem on January 8 would have a significant impact.
The president said, “The people must also fight this battle.”
Bolsonaro, who ran for president from 2019 to 2022, is prohibited from running for office until 2030 because he questioned Brazil’s electoral system without supporting evidence.
The former president, who claims to have been the victim of political persecution, was in the US on January 8, 2023, but is accused of inciting the rioters, who demanded that Lula be removed from power a week later.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply