Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president convicted of plotting a coup, has blamed “paranoia” induced by medication for damaging his ankle monitor. This admission came a day after he was removed from house arrest and placed into detention. At a hearing in Brasília, Bolsonaro confessed that he attempted to open the ankle monitor with a soldering iron on Friday, only stopping when he “came to his senses.” He insisted he never intended to flee.
Bolsonaro, 70, was taken into custody due to concerns that he might attempt to flee, especially with a supporters’ vigil planned outside his home. He will remain in detention moving forward.
In September 2023, Bolsonaro was sentenced to over 27 years in prison for his role in the coup plot.
Currently, he is being held at a police station in Brazil’s capital, Brasília.
The political turmoil surrounding Bolsonaro has drawn sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump, who responded by imposing a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods. This move came after Bolsonaro’s legal troubles prompted accusations from Trump of political persecution.
Bolsonaro was found guilty of spearheading a conspiracy to remain in power after he lost the 2022 presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his left-wing rival. According to Supreme Court justices, Bolsonaro was aware of a plot that included plans to assassinate Lula and his running mate Geraldo Alckmin, as well as arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes, the justice overseeing his trial. However, the conspiracy failed to gain support from the army and air force commanders, and Lula was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.
Just days after Lula’s inauguration, on 8 January, Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília. The security forces intervened, and approximately 1,500 people were arrested. The justices concluded that Bolsonaro had incited the riot, with plans to have the military intervene and return him to power.
In addition to his prison sentence, Bolsonaro has been barred from running for public office until 2060, eight years after the conclusion of his sentence.
Bolsonaro has dismissed the trial as a “witch hunt” aimed at preventing him from running in the 2026 presidential election.
