Bolsonaro defended himself against accusations of conspiracy in front of his followers Brazil's former president has called for amnesty for those arrested for rioting

Former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro gathered thousands of followers in San Pablo this Sunday for His first mass bath after leaving power To defend himself against investigations into alleged conspiracy attempts. Atop a truck set up in the middle of the city's most iconic Ballista Avenue, Bolsonaro denied the existence of a coup plot, calling himself the victim of “persecution” and criticizing the “abuses of some”. The governor of São Paulo province and former Bolsonaro minister Darcisio de Freitas and the city's mayor, Ricardo Nunes, took part in the march.

“Amnesty” for Prisoners in Brasilia

“What is a conspiracy? They're tanks in the street, they're weapons, they're a conspiracy… Nothing like that happened in Brazil,” Bolsonaro said, defending himself before a crowd dressed in green and yellow, the colors of the flag. Appreciating him, he shouted “legendary” every three sentences. The far-right called for “pacification” of the country and asked legislators to grant amnesty to people convicted of occupying the headquarters of the Presidency, Congress and Supreme Court in Brasilia on January 8, 2023.

Bolsonaro avoided openly attacking one of his favorite targets. The Supreme Court had already revoked his passport earlier this month and barred him from leaving the country pending a police investigation. It also includes several commanders and associates of the former president. Bolsonaro plans to travel to Washington this weekend to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) alongside former US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Millay.

According to the judicial investigation, the suspects tried to discredit the electronic voting system before the election and then prepared a coup against the new Lula government. Bolsonaro says he is the victim of persecution He remained silent when police questioned him on Thursday.

“Brazil wants amnesty for the poor in prison. We gave amnesty to those who committed atrocities in the past, and now we ask the representatives and senators for an amnesty program so that justice can be achieved in Brazil,” Bolsonaro said this Sunday, adding that those who destroyed the headquarters on January 8, 2023 must be punished. “But not with unjust punishments” those in power will be punished.

“We cannot accept the removal of an authority from the political arena, unless it is for a legitimate reason, and we cannot contemplate elections by removing the enemy,” the far-right said. The Supreme Court has so far sentenced more than 100 people Violation of the law is punishable by up to 17 years in prison.

“Evil Engineering”

Before Bolsonaro, another man investigated for the coup attempt, Liberal Party leader Valdemar Costa Neto, attended the event. Michelle Bolsonaro, the former president's wife, head of the Liberal Party's women's wing and an ardent evangelical activist, wept during the prayer. After giving that to the crowd, he lamented the separation of “religion from politics” in the election. “Things went wrong with that idea,” she questioned tearfully.

In contrast to the measured tone used by Bolsonaro, influential evangelical preacher Silas Malafaya stormed the court and spoke of “evil engineering” to try to jail the far-right leader, who has already questioned the use of electronic ballot boxes until 2030. In elections.

Malafaya warned that if court judges order Bolsonaro's arrest, “it will not be for his (former president's) destruction, but for their destruction.” In the polls, Bolsonaro remains the opposition leader, although he cannot run in any elections because he is disqualified until 2030 precisely for his criticism of electronic ballot boxes.