Lieutenant-Colonel Mauro Cid, Jair Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp and right-hand man, told the Federal Police that the former president allegedly had a meeting with the heads of the Armed Forces to discuss a military coup following Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory in the 2022 presidential elections.
According to news website Uol, Lt.-Col. Cid saw Mr. Bolsonaro receive a draft of a decree to call new elections. It was handed to him by an assistant of the then-president. The proposal included the possibility of arresting political opponents.
According to Lt.-Col. Cid, Mr. Bolsonaro took the document to a meeting with the heads of the military. Admiral Almir Garnier, the former Navy commander, was allegedly in favor of military intervention, but the chiefs of the Air Force and the Army were against it. Annoyed, Mr. Garnier publicly demonstrated his position by breaking protocol and not attending the inauguration of his successor, appointed by Lula.
Mr. Bolsonaro’s former right-hand man signed a plea bargain with the feds, which was approved by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on September 9. The statements made public this Thursday are part of that agreement. Now, investigators will look for evidence to support Lt.-Col. Cid’s allegations.
The investigation aims to clarify the link between the coup-like movements of top officials of the Jair Bolsonaro government and the January 8 riots, when thousands of far-right radicals stormed and ransacked the buildings housing Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace.
After the news broke, the select committee formed by House and Senate members to investigate the January 8 riots indicated that it should summon Mr. Garnier to testify.
The Supreme Court is also trying rioters for crimes committed during the demonstrations. Three people were convicted, and another five cases were scheduled for virtual trials next week.
Lt.-Col. Cid was arrested in May and accused of forging vaccination cards of Mr. Bolsonaro and the former president’s 12-year-old daughter. He is also being investigated for involvement in the case of smuggling and selling jewels gifted by foreign governments.
The former president has not yet commented on his former aide’s statement. Last week, however, he downplayed the possibility that his confidant was discussing coup plots in his administration. “I can discuss anything, I can think anything, but if I don’t put it into practice, it’s O.K.,” he said.
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