Brazil
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Brazil has given the world a “lesson in democracy” after former leader Jair Bolsonaro was jailed for plotting a coup. The sentence underscores that no one, not even a former president, is above the law in Brazil’s democracy.
Brazil made international headlines as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praised the judiciary for delivering a “lesson in democracy” following the imprisonment of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro, 70, began serving a 27‑year sentence after being convicted of orchestrating a coup aimed at overturning the results of the 2022 election and preventing Lula from taking office.
Speaking to the nation, Lula commended the courts for standing firm against pressure and threats. He highlighted that, for the first time in Brazil’s 500-year history, a former leader and high-ranking military officials have been held accountable for attempting to subvert the democratic process. Four four-star generals implicated in the plot were also jailed.
Prosecutors detailed a conspiracy involving an armed criminal organisation intent on disrupting the election, dismantling democratic institutions and targeting key leaders, including Lula himself, his vice president and a Supreme Court justice. The court rejected all appeals, ordering Bolsonaro’s immediate incarceration at a federal facility in Brasilia.
The case has been hailed as a defining moment for democracy in Brazil, demonstrating the strength of institutions and the principle that no individual is above the law. Yet analysts warn it may deepen political polarisation, reflecting the fragility of democratic gains even in the wake of historic rulings.
With Bolsonaro behind bars, Lula insists the country has shown the world that its democratic institutions can withstand challenges, reaffirming the rule of law and signalling a decisive stance against threats to Brazil’s constitutional order.
