Embattled former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stated that he was "not afraid of any trial" as he faces allegations that he was planning a coup to overturn Lula's win during the 2022 election. This came after the Brazilian Supreme Court revealed that two top military leaders admitted that the right-wing leader known as the "Trump of the Tropics" was plotting a coup after losing to Lula in 2022.

Bolsonaro did not touch on what specific investigation he was facing, but he did go into the Donald Trump playbook and painted himself as the victim of political persecution. Bolsonaro had been known to follow Trump's tactics, even being accused of instigating his supporters to conduct last year's January 8 Riot, which was Brazil's version of the January 6 Capitol Insurrection.

"I could very well be in another country, but I decided to come back here at all costs. I'm not afraid of any trial, as long as the judges are impartial," said the former president during a speech at a campaign event for an ally running for the Rio de Janeiro mayoral race.

The populist leader has since denied allegations that he and his supporters were attempting a coup during the events of January 8, 2023, where a pro-Bolsonaro mob attacked several Brazilian government buildings in Brasilia, including the country's Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Presidential Palace. Several Bolsonaro supporters who were part of the riot have now been sentenced.

Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's Top Military Leaders Admitted He Was Planning a Coup

Despite his insistence that he did nothing wrong, testimony from Bolsonaro's former Army and Air Force commanders, as well as members of the police, revealed that he was "actively participating in a conspiracy to ignore the results of the October 2022 election."

READ MORE: Jair Bolsonaro Under Probe for Allegedly Harassing a Humpback Whale May Be Fined 2,500 Reais ($500)

According to The Guardian, former army commander Marco Antônio Freire Gomes and former air force commander Carlos Baptista Jr. admitted that the former Brazilian president held several meetings in December 2022. There, he tried to present the two military officials with a document that would have served as the basis to overturn the results of the 2022 election.

In their testimony, the two military officials claimed they tried to dissuade Bolsonaro of his plans. Their testimony, which is also the first time the former president has been directly named in an investigation over the coup attempt, would also complicate his legal situation as he faces a myriad of cases.

General Rejecting Jair Bolsonaro's Plans Prevented a Coup From Happening in Brazil

In their testimony, Gomes noted that Bolsonaro wanted to investigate the certification and legality of the electoral process. He said that he rejected the idea, with Baptista adding that Gomes' denunciation was an important one as it prevented Bolsonaro from successfully doing the coup as he lost the military's support.

According to Jurist, despite Bolsonaro not being able to persuade the leaders of the Army and the Air Force, he was able to get Fleet Admiral Almir Garnier, former commander of the Brazilian Navy, to commit, as court documents have shown.

READ MORE: Trials for Jair Bolsonaro Supporters Begin Over the January 8 Riots

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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