Brazilians hail strength of democracy as Bolsonaro is called to account

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Brazilians hail strength of democracy as Bolsonaro is called to account

‘In Brazil coup-mongers go to jail. In the US they get back into the White House,’ says one leading politician

Tom Phillips and Tiago Rogero in Rio de Janeiro
Wed 19 Feb 2025 19.35 GMT
Last modified on Wed 19 Feb 2025 19.53 GMT

Brazilian democrats have celebrated the strength of their country’s judiciary and institutions after the former president Jair Bolsonaro was left facing political oblivion and jail time for allegedly plotting a coup, in stark contrast to the US’s failure to bring Donald Trump to justice for his anti-democratic acts.

“In Brazil coup-mongers go to jail. In the US they get back into the White House,” said Marcelo Freixo, a leading leftwing politician on Wednesday after the attorney general formally accused Bolsonaro of engineering a sprawling conspiracy to cling to power following his defeat in the 2022 election.

For his alleged crimes – which include participation in an attempted coup d’état, an armed criminal association and a violent attempt to abolish the rule of law – Bolsonaro could face a prison sentence of over 40 years. Trump meanwhile is beginning his second term as president after managing to shirk responsibility for his alleged offenses, including inciting the January 2021 attacks in Washington DC.

“In the US Trump encouraged an attempted coup through the storming of the Capitol and emerged unpunished. In Brazil Bolsonaro led an attempted coup and he is going to jail,” said Freixo hailing the South American country as “a more serious democracy than the US”.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/19/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-coup

[Hassler]

1. Democracy is stronger in Brazil and South Korea

Than here in Trumpville.

[magicarpet]

3. Really,..... could we borrow a cup of your Democracy,.....

... and use it up here,.... ours seems quite lethargic right now.

[Deuxcents]

2. France held their former president, Nicolas Sarcozy to account by putting him in prison him for corruption

It can be done in democracies so what’s our problem?

[Judi Lynn]

4. What an amazing result. More than ever, however, Lula da Silva should be doubly protected.

Brazil has already gone through one hideous, bloody, right-wing military dictatorship which hoovered "dissidents" and suspected lefties off the street, from inside their homes, etc., tortured them, murdered them, disappeared them.

Bolsonaro already used the right-wing police and court allies he had to set up Lula da Silva, throw him in prison, so he couldn't campaign against Bolsonaro for the Presidency, then spend a lot of time in prison before honest officials finally got him released and the bogus charges terminated.

Clearly Bolsonaro has long, treacherous ties everywhere.

Right after his Presidential "win" a powerful female progressive poor woman from the ghetto who was gathering wide-spread support was assassinated, along with her driver, both shot on the street coming from a meeting.

Assassination of Marielle Franco
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Marielle_Franco

You might want to scan this report. I just checked, and Bolsonaro's name is mentioned 43 times in it.

He, himself, is pure poison.

If only this will take him down enough he won't be able to become as lethal again.

Oh, yeah, undoubtedly you remember he has been called the "Trump of the Tropics" for years.


Thank you, so much, for posting this totally unexpected situation, Eugene.

[Judi Lynn]

5. This outstanding article explains why racist/sexist/rabid fascists hated Marielle Franco.

The life and battles of Marielle Franco

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/life-and-battles-marielle-franco/























Protests of the assassinations of Marielle Franco and her driver

[Judi Lynn]

6. Tons of photos of Trump and his children mingling with Bolsonaro and his sons over the years.

https://tinyurl.com/3pkxhuue

Bolsonaro and his spawn made many visits specifically to confer with Trump and sons, both sets of sons even going on personal trips to various places together.

Doesn't take too much time to realize they both stepped far outside what is considered professional behavior of public representatives of their countries.

[Judi Lynn]

7. I just remembered: Bolsonaro and Trump BOTH seemed to be murderously attacked during their campaigns.

Bolsonaro was believed by some to have been stabbed before being whisked off to a hospital to take many photos of him lying in bed and unable to appear publicly and attend debates, etc., (while his earlier opponent, Lula da Silva was being confined to jail in a filthy set up trap, which wasn't corrected until well after Bolsonaro was elected, and Trump, of course, shot up his tiny patriot's fist almost before he could even appear to "fall down" after which he made many images of himself as a martyr to sell cheap, nasty trinkets of his heroism, while his alleged "wounded" ear healed miraculously, almost overnight, no worse for wear, no scars, of course.

Two public "patriots", brothers from different mothers.