In Rio de Janeiro, thousands of supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former president, converged on Copacabana Beach to demonstrate their continued backing for the controversial right-wing political figure amid ongoing legal issues, including accusations of attempting to stage a coup. The demonstration also called for amnesty for those incarcerated over their involvement in the January 8, 2023 clashes, where governmental edifices in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, were vandalized.
The crowd, arrayed in Brazil’s national soccer team colors of yellow and green, held banners with messages like “Amnesty, now!” although approximately 18,000 participated according to a University of Sao Paulo-affiliated monitoring project, far short of the 1 million attendees Bolsonaro’s supporters had hoped for.
Historically, Bolsonaro has utilized Copacabana as a rallying venue to exhibit his political influence. Recently, Brazil’s prosecutor-general indicted him on charges related to coup plotting after losing the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Allegations include purported plans to poison President Lula and assassinate Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is presiding over multiple cases against him.
After his election loss, Bolsonaro did not cede defeat and instead traveled to the United States before his term officially ended. He maintains his innocence, claiming he is subject to political vindictiveness. His legal team seeks to refer the case to Brazil’s Supreme Court, with two of its justices appointed by him.
Should he be found guilty, Bolsonaro faces a possible lengthy prison sentence. During the rally, he rejected the accusations against him. “Nobody buys that story. The only reason this coup story wasn’t perfect for them was because I was in the United States,” he commented, suggesting incarceration or worse would be his fate had he remained in Brazil, and asserting he remains a formidable presence against his detractors.
This demonstration occurred just prior to a crucial Supreme Court session where five of its eleven justices are set to decide on whether Bolsonaro and several associates will face trial on multiple charges.
His son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, used social media to galvanize supporters, emphasizing the significance of supporting the many individuals who have been convicted or face persecution. This refers to over 400 people sentenced for their participation in the January 8 unrest, where Bolsonaro’s fervent supporters stormed the Supreme Court, Presidential Palace, and Congress.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet has accused Bolsonaro and 33 associates of instigating the crisis as a desperate power retention tactic. Political scientist Paulo Henrique Cassimiro from Rio de Janeiro State University suggests Bolsonaro is striving to cast himself and others as unjustly accused patriots as the Supreme Court deliberation looms, implying that a strong show of political support might entice Congress to consider granting amnesty post-conviction.
Despite this strategy, Cassimiro notes the dwindling turnout as indicative of Bolsonaro’s waning influence. Thiago Bottino, a law scholar at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, anticipates the judiciary will move forward with the charges, emphasizing the abundance of incriminating documents, eyewitness testimony, and message exchanges that could substantiate the legal case.
Cassiane Sousa, a 25-year-old student, attended the rally to demonstrate that Bolsonaro’s movement retains vigor despite the judicial challenges facing him. “We’re here because we still have hope, otherwise we’d just stay home,” she remarked.
