T
he Brazilian justice system did not waver. After a rigorous trial, former president Jair Bolsonaro was found guilty on Thursday, September 11, of attempting a coup d'état following his defeat to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the October 2022 presidential election. The severity of the charges justified the harsh sentence handed down – 27 years and three months in prison – by the Supreme Federal Court, Brazil's highest, which was responsible for judging the former president. This sentence could be adjusted given the poor health of the 70-year-old convict.
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Bolsonaro gets more than 27 years in prison for attempted coup in historic ruling
This conviction remains exemplary, regardless of the efforts by Bolsonaro's supporters to push for an amnesty law. It serves as a stark reminder of a fundamental tenet: Democracy rests on the verdict of the ballot box, not on the destruction of institutions. For a country ruled by the arbitrariness and brutality of a military dictatorship until 1985, this judgment is evidence of newfound maturity, which is further underscored by the presence among those convicted of six high-ranking officers, including three generals.
