Brazil
Is Bolsonaro planning a military coup in the event of an election defeat? The President denies this
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during the official campaign kick-off for his re-election
© Fernando Souza / DPA
Almost two months before the presidential election in Brazil, Brazilian head of state Jair Bolsonaro spoke about reactions to a possible election defeat. The politician denies that there are fears of a military coup.
At the beginning of October, a decision will be made in Brazil as to how the country’s political leadership will proceed. The emerging topic is now, for example, whether right-wing populist President Jair Bolsonaro would accept an election defeat.
In any case, the current incumbent denied in an interview in the “Flow Podcast” on Monday that he wanted to carry out a military coup in the event of an election defeat. He also rejects a constitutional measure intended to protect him from criminal accusations.
The background is the 67-year-old’s efforts to use a military parade on Independence Day on September 7 for political purposes. Fears arose that he might use the military to counteract his waning popularity.
“I’m not afraid of losing the election. I’m not worried about it,” Bolsonaro said in the interview. “If I wanted to stage a coup, I wouldn’t say anything.” At the same time, Bolsonaro once again expressed doubts about the Brazilian electoral system. “What we want is transparency because I have a reputation as a putschist who doesn’t want to accept the result of the elections,” he said.
Brazil’s President Bolsonaro in second place according to polls
The future of the Brazilian President is uncertain. According to polls, Bolsonaro is well behind leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula is by no means an unknown. He is an ex-president and was sentenced in 2018 to more than 12 years in prison for corruption and money laundering. As a result, he was unable to take part in the 2018 presidential election, which Bolsonaro won. However, last year the Supreme Court overturned the leftist ex-president’s verdict, giving him back his political rights.
Recently there have been reports that Bolsonaro’s allies are seeking a bill to amend the constitution. This should give ex-presidents a senatorship for life and guarantee them immunity in Congress. Bolsonaro replied that he had no interest in it. “They will say that I am asking for a pardon. I don’t want this immunity,” said the incumbent president.
Election campaigns in Brazil are officially allowed from August 16, before a duel between Bolsonaro and Lula on October 2. The forthcoming presidential election is therefore viewed critically.
Sources:Reuterswith material from the dpa