How the former president’s coup trial has divided Brazil

On Sunday, the Brazilians celebrated the independence of their country from Portugal, as they do every year on September 7: with patriotism, military marches, flags and fabric. Churrascos Brazilian barbecue parties.

But with an imminent ruling on the trial on charges of the coup of former President Geer Bolsonaro, this year was marked by competing communities.

He took thousands to the streets chanting slogans about freedom: some in defense of democracy, while others in defense of the former president who stands accused of trying to overthrow them.

On Tuesday, five judges in the Supreme Court will start submitting their rulings one after the other on whether Jair Bolsonaro is backed by clinging to power after losing the 2022 elections for his leftist opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva.

These allegations include a coup proposal for military leaders, knowledge of a conspiracy to assassinate the elected president Lula Silva and the Supreme Court judge Alexander de Morris, and to incite supporters to attack government buildings on January 8, 2023 after suspicion of the electoral system.

Bolsonaro denies the charges, describing them as political motives, a view that his supporters – US President Donald Trump shared.

Trump described the trial “political persecution” and imposed a 50 % tariff on Brazilian goods, as well as penalties on the Judge of the Supreme Court Maurice, who leads the trial.

Gear Bolsonaro’s son, who succeeded in pressing the definitions in the United States, defended this step, defended this step, BBC tells last month that he believes that “freedom comes first, before the economy.”.

But many Brazilians see that it is very non -national to support economic pain on Brazil for the Polisonaro’s political fortunes.

“Brazil is completely divided,” Brazil, who attended a great march in support of Polsonaro in Sao Paulo on Sunday.

“But I believe in the sanctions of the United States, those who were supporting [of the trial] “They raise their feet of gas,” and it is covered in the Brazilian language and the United States combined.

The national symbols such as the national flag of Brazil and a football shirt have long been chosen as the official uniform of the Bolsonaro’s right -wing base, but some also wore Trump tools.

The crowd demanded “pardon!” And “Mora, outside!”

Another protester, Erika, said that the trial was “just a big theater because everyone knows that his conviction is already designed.”

But there are many here who disagree.

In a march close to Bolsonaro’s opponents, the crowds chanted “no pardon” and “dictatorship, never again.”

Huge plane statues in Bolsonaro in prison costume and Trump excels over signs, saying: “Prison for Polsonaro” and “Trump, and won off Brazil.

One of them was wearing a football shirt, which the Brazilians hoped for the restoration, saying, “I am not a customer Bolsonaro.”

The crowd was optimistic because it could be condemned.

One of the demonstrators, Rafael, described Polsonaro’s arrest as a “victory”, accusing him of committing “serious crimes” against the Brazilians.

He added: “It is still extremely extreme. Until recently, the right was strong. But since Trump’s actions there has been a shift to the left. It was about sovereignty and prevention of foreign interference.”

“All the evidence shows that it was an attempt to coup,” Kareena said. “I hope the justice will be made to show that you cannot do what you want to make your own gains.”

This trial has given deep flaws and discussions on democracy in Brazil.

The riots on January 8 and the coup allegations are very worrying to Bolsonaro’s critics because the Brazil democracy is still young.

It was restored in 1985, after two decades of US dictatorship.

The Supreme Court casts the same as a guardianship of this democracy.

But it became lightning rod. Its judges are appointed by presidents, but they can also put presidents and ministers on the trial.

Some sit in the electoral court and strike the laws. Her president was the lawyer of Lula, adding fuel to the accusations of bias from Bolsonaro supporters.

He achieved an investigation into false news, including online threats to the court, led by Judge Morris Halfa Bolsonaro and social media accounts fell.

Critics say this extends the jurisdiction of the court to the police and politics; Supporters are called a model of the digital era.

The court’s role in the trial of Bolsonaro, which Maurice is the introduction and goal of the alleged assassination plot that is part of the case, led both sides to accuse the other of the authority.

Bolsonaro’s critics argue that he tried to install a dictatorship.

On the other hand, his supporters say that the overwhelming powers used by the court to investigate the alleged coup and riots in the capital, Brazilia, are the abuse of the judicial authorities.

Those who believe that the judiciary has gone away in the prosecution of persons involved in storming government buildings on January 8, 2023 often cite that the Diboras Rodriguez Dos Santos case.

The 39 -year -old Bolsonaro’s supporter received a 14 -year prison sentence after her “You lost, a fool” in the lipstick on the statue of justice outside the Supreme Court.

While the prison sentence later turned to the arrest of the house because it has children carefully, the fact that it was tried on charges of the coup before the Supreme Court continued to get angry.

“They tried it for writing on the walls. I have never heard of a 14 -year -old person sentenced to lipstick. It was a demonstration, and it was classified as terrorist,” her sister Claudia told the BBC.

Claudia said Dibora sorry for the walls, but she did not regret attending the January 8 protest, which she said was her “right” because she was “skeptical” about the election results.

Claudia is attributed to “the love of science” for Polsonaro with “inspiring houses”, WhatsApp Aunt, Bricklayer, and businessman “to participate in politics.

She argues that, because there is no coup, Polsonaro cannot be guilty.

“If a coup is convicted, it also condemns 1,200 people who were protesting there,” she said.

But there are others who believe that the events of January 8, 2023 were more than just a simple protest.

Ricardo Capli is the former minister in charge of regaining the regime in Brazilia after storming the main buildings.

“Demonstrators” who wandered in the coup who invaded three branches of the government and committed “barbarian actions” in the Supreme Court, “attacking a symbol of a basic institution for Brazilian democracy.”

It is believed that this trial will help “transform a page in history” by showing that Brazil will not tolerate the threats of democracy again.

He told the BBC: “He has never been an unprecedented coup or attempted coup that sat in the dock in Brazil,” he told the BBC.

For him, the trial also represents a global example. He argues that if riots occur in the Capitol in Brazil, it is likely that Donald Trump is likely to sit in the sidewalk.

As the ruling approaches, the Polsonaro party – which has a majority in Congress – pays a bill to grant it and demonstrators on January 8, as the nerves are adopted that their alleged leader is about to fall.

Mr. Cappelli’s answer to those calling the authoritarian response is: “The date of the study. Pardoning the previous coup attempts resulted in a new coup. Couponed Coupled Coupleter tomorrow.”

For years, Bolsonaro divided Brazil into loyalists and opponents.

For his fans, this trial is equal to persecution due to a coup that has never happened; For his critics, protection against another dictatorship.

Even some moderate right -wing people hope that this experience may finally draw a line, but with such different definitions of authoritarianism, polarization continues to deepen.