On Tuesday, Brazil’s federal police apprehended five officers suspected of plotting a coup following the 2022 elections, with the goal of toppling the government and assassinating then-President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. According to authorities, the group also intended to kill Lula’s running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, as well as Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The five individuals arrested include four members of Brazil’s special operations military forces, one of whom is a retired brigadier general, along with a federal police officer. As part of the investigation, the police executed three search warrants and took additional precautionary measures. These measures included confiscating the suspects’ passports to prevent them from fleeing the country and placing restrictions on their communications to stop them from reaching out to others involved in the plot.
At this time, it remains unclear when formal charges will be filed against the suspects.
“The objective was to prevent the inauguration of the legitimately elected government and undermine the free exercise of democracy and the authority of Brazil’s judiciary,” de Moraes, who authorised the arrests, said of the plot in his order.
“These actions, peaking between November and December 2022, were part of a broader plan to carry out a coup d’etat,” he added.
Lula returned as Brazil’s president for a third, non-consecutive term after narrowly defeating far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in October 2022. Bolsonaro, who frequently cast doubt on the election results without providing evidence and never conceded, left for the US days before Lula’s January 2023 inauguration.
Following the 2022 elections, fervent supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro launched widespread protests across Brazil, rejecting the election results. These protests included the closure of highways and the setting up of camps outside military bases, as demonstrators voiced their discontent. This unrest escalated into a more significant crisis on January 8, 2023, just one week after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s inauguration as president.
On that day, thousands of Bolsonaro loyalists gathered in Brasília, the nation’s capital, and forcibly stormed key government buildings, including the presidential palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court. The protesters sought to overturn the election results and remove Lula from office, demanding Bolsonaro’s return to power.
Retired Brigadier General Mario Fernandes, one of the officers arrested on Tuesday, is believed to have played a crucial role in connecting the pro-Bolsonaro protest camps to Bolsonaro’s Cabinet, according to details from the investigation included in the judge’s order and reviewed by the Associated Press.
Fernandes served as the interim general secretary in Bolsonaro’s Cabinet from October 2020 until the end of his presidency. Authorities revealed they found evidence suggesting that Fernandes had plotted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, President Lula, and his running mate, Geraldo Alckmin.
Additionally, Fernandes is said to have visited several protest camps set up outside military facilities, including the army headquarters in Brasília.
According to the investigation documents, Fernandes had devised multiple scenarios for assassinating Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The former president, Jair Bolsonaro, had long criticized the Supreme Court, particularly de Moraes, who became a primary target for Bolsonaro’s supporters. De Moraes led a five-year investigation into fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices and also presided over the electoral court when it ruled that Bolsonaro would be ineligible to run for office until 2030.
Bolsonaro himself is under investigation for various potential crimes, including his possible involvement in inciting the January 8th uprising aimed at removing his successor from power. As part of the coup plot, Fernandes also considered the possibility of poisoning Lula. Additionally, Wladimir Matos Soares, the federal police officer arrested on Tuesday, is alleged to have provided critical information about Lula’s security to the military officers involved in the plot.
The document released on Tuesday revealed no evidence that any plans to assassinate Lula or Alckmin had been put into action. However, investigators uncovered messages and documents suggesting that the conspirators were actively monitoring and tracking Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes at the time.
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, downplayed the seriousness of the situation. He argued that no actual assassination attempt had occurred and controversially stated that “as repugnant as it is to think about killing someone, it’s not a crime.”
In contrast, Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes took a much firmer stance during an interview with the local network Globonews. Mendes asserted that the conspirators’ activities went beyond mere planning and were already in the process of being carried out.
A document previously seized by police from Lt. Col. Helio Ferreira Lima, one of the arrested military officers, outlined a detailed plan to overthrow the elected government. This plan included launching an investigation into alleged election fraud and issuing a presidential decree, supported by Congress, to call for new elections.
Investigators had also discovered another document describing a so-called “Crisis Cabinet,” consisting of 11 military officials. This group, led by two senior generals from Bolsonaro’s administration, was intended to take control after a coup attempt.
Further evidence revealed that some of these documents were printed within the presidential palace during Bolsonaro’s tenure. Additionally, parts of the plan were reportedly discussed at the residence of his running mate, former Defense Minister General Walter Braga Netto.
In March, two senior Brazilian military officials revealed to police that Jair Bolsonaro had proposed a plan for him to remain in power after losing the 2022 election. Both officials rejected the plan and warned Bolsonaro that they would arrest him if he attempted to carry it out, according to judicial documents released earlier this year.
On Tuesday morning, President Lula was informed of the arrests while hosting the final day of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. During the summit, Lula was scheduled to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders.
The army later stated that none of the arrested individuals were involved in providing security for the G20 summit but declined to comment further on the ongoing investigation.
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