On Feb. 8, Brazil’s federal police launched a high-profile raid against former President Jair Bolsonaro and more than 10 of his allies, including Brazil’s former navy chief, national security advisor, and ministers of defense and justice. Authorities accused the group of plotting a potential coup after Bolsonaro’s failed 2022 reelection bid.
Court documents suggest that Bolsonaro personally edited a decree that would have overturned election results and imprisoned a Supreme Court justice; a general loyal to the president confirmed that he would provide troops to carry out the coup. Bolsonaro also allegedly pressured his cabinet to forcefully share disinformation about supposed weaknesses in Brazil’s electoral system. The former president was asked to hand over his passport to authorities and may face decades in jail.
The recent revelations suggest that Brazilian coup-mongers’ plans were more advanced than initially believed. In the end, they did not get their way— in part due to divisions within Brazil’s armed forces that were the target of concerted pro-democracy efforts by U.S. President Joe Biden.
Biden’s stated commitment to defending democracy worldwide is often brushed off as mere
