Feds subpoena Bolsonaro amid coup plot probe

The Feds accuse Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a coup d'état. Photo: Pedro Ladeira/Folhapress

Brazilian Federal Police subpoenaed former President Jair Bolsonaro to come in for a deposition as part of investigations into an attempted coup to keep him in office regardless of the results of the 2022 presidential elections.

Attorney Fabio Wajngarten, a spokesman for Mr. Bolsonaro and his former press secretary, said on social media that his lawyers “will take the necessary measures” to ensure his right to present a defense.

The deposition is scheduled for Thursday.

A Federal Police investigation found that senior officials of the former Bolsonaro administration (2019-2022) were part of a criminal ring that aimed to flood public discourse with false allegations to discredit Brazil’s electronic voting system, recruit military officials to support a coup, draft legal arguments that would support their claims, incite supporters to riot, and spy on judges and political opponents.

The putschist campaign culminated in the riots of January 8, 2023, when hordes of Bolsonaro supporters stormed and ransacked government buildings — desperately trying to create the conditions for a state of emergency that they believed would allow the military to restore Mr. Bolsonaro to power.

Mr. Bolsonaro was front and center in the scheme, the police say. Footage of a cabinet meeting recorded on July 5, 2022 and made public by the Supreme Court this month shows that the then-president instructed his ministers to challenge Brazil’s electoral system and spread misinformation on his behalf.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who authorized the most recent Federal Police operation under the ongoing investigation, on Friday reiterated his ruling that bans targets from communicating with each other. This means, for example, that Mr. Bolsonaro is prohibited from speaking with Valdemar Costa Neto, the chairman of his Liberal Party.

As investigations draw closer to Mr. Bolsonaro, the former president has begun to rally his base. He called supporters for a political demonstration in São Paulo on February 25. At least three state governors (including São Paulo’s) and almost 100 lawmakers are expected to attend.

In past years, Mr. Bolsonaro used such demonstrations to pit his supporters against democratic institutions — namely the Supreme Court. Political observers wait to see if the investigations will change his demeanor.