SAO PAULO — A series of leaked audio recordings from late 2022 have surfaced, showcasing discussions among senior members of Brazil’s military regarding attempts to influence then-President Jair Bolsonaro to execute a coup and maintain his grip on power.
The 53 audio clips, which were seized by the Federal Police, reveal military officials openly expressing their apprehensions about leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva assuming office. They reflect the sentiment that urgent action was necessary to prevent a political shift in Brazil.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing a complex investigation into these matters, cited some of these recordings in his recent ruling that led to the arrest of five individuals involved in plotting the assassination of President-elect Lula in 2022. They also took part in an attempted coup on January 8, 2023, when supporters of Bolsonaro wreaked havoc on government buildings in Brasilia.
Among the various audios, one from a former army officer, distinctively supportive of a coup, was not mentioned in de Moraes’ arrest order. Col. Roberto Raimundo Criscuoli, who previously served as a subcommander in the army’s special forces, communicated with retired Brig. Gen. Mario Fernandes, who at that time was the second in command at the presidency’s general secretary. Criscuoli stated that Bolsonaro faced a choice: “It will be either a civil war now or civil war later. We have a justification now for civil war; people are on the streets, we have massive support.”
The audio recordings do not capture the voices of Bolsonaro or his ministers discussing the coup. They are not directly related to an accusation made by Brazil’s police on November 21, which alleged that Bolsonaro and several others attempted to orchestrate a coup.
The Brazilian army has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the ongoing Federal Police investigation. Bolsonaro has often questioned the legitimacy of the election results without offering substantial evidence and did not concede after the election. Instead, he left for the United States just days ahead of Lula’s inauguration on January 1, 2023, and remained there for an extended period. The electoral court has ruled that Bolsonaro is ineligible to run for president until 2030 due to accusations of power abuse, and he currently faces numerous investigations concerning various alleged crimes.
Some of the audio clips convey less explicit calls for a coup but still emphasize political urgency. In one voice message to Gen. Fernandes, Col. Reginaldo Vieira de Abreu referenced a phrase commonly used by Bolsonaro, suggesting that the constitution should be disregarded. He stated, “We are at war, they are winning. It is almost over and they haven’t fired a single shot. It is because of our incompetence.”
In a different recording from December 8, Lt. Col. Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s aide-de-camp, discussed with Gen. Fernandes the dwindling time to secure Bolsonaro’s position as president. Cid noted the necessity to act swiftly before the electoral court validated Lula’s victory on the 12th. “I will speak to the president. The thing is his personality sometimes. He waits, waits, waits to see where it is going… But sometimes time is short, right?”
De Moraes’ recent arrest order acknowledged Cid’s remarks, though it did not provide the full context. Cid was already under house arrest after agreeing to a plea bargain with authorities the previous year, which has assisted in gathering evidence for multiple investigations involving Bolsonaro and key associates, including Walter Braga Netto, Bolsonaro’s chief of staff and reelection running mate.
In these audio recordings, Gen. Fernandes, among those arrested by de Moraes, repeatedly asserted that Lula’s election was manipulated and urged military leaders to support Bolsonaro’s position prior to Lula assuming office. “Any solution, you know, will not happen without breaking eggs,” he remarked. “We have to go for it. We have popular support.”
During this tumultuous period, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters gathered outside military facilities, trying to persuade military leaders to support their president. Reports indicated that there was a lack of enthusiasm within the military’s high command for a coup. Many supporters eventually dispersed after the January 8 riots, following orders from the newly appointed army commander.