Military top brass throws Bolsonaro to the wolves

During his time as Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro time and again threatened democracy — often mentioning that “his Army” was on his side. 

For years, the men in fatigues did indeed indulge Mr. Bolsonaro. At his behest, senior military officers raised questions about the legitimacy of Brazil’s electronic voting system. The Navy improvised a military parade in front of the presidential palace in a move that clearly sought to intimidate the other branches of government. And the Armed Forces commanders allowed Mr. Bolsonaro’s supporters to call for a coup while camped outside garrisons for months.

Now that Mr. Bolsonaro is out of office, rendered ineligible for eight years, and dogged by multiple criminal investigations, senior officers who headed the Armed Forces during his presidency have decided to turn on their former commander-in-chief.

As the Federal Police look into an alleged coup plot to keep Mr. Bolsonaro in power regardless of the 2022 electoral results, the former Air Force and Army commanders told investigators — in great detail — how the former president tried to lure them into staging an old-fashioned military power grab.

According to their accounts (which were unsealed by the Supreme Court on Friday), Mr. Bolsonaro, a former military man himself, hosted several secret meetings to discuss ways to overthrow democracy. Lieutenant Air Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Jr. and General Marco Antônio Freire Gomes say Mr. Bolsonaro obtained a promise from the then-Navy commander to make troops available for a coup. 

The other two, who are now giving up information to investigators, say they refused to join the plan. 

Lt.-Brig. Baptista recalled that Mr. Bolsonaro got “scared” when he saw that the military support he hoped to count on was insufficient. 

The testimonies further complicate Mr. Bolsonaro’s already precarious legal situation. The former president, after all, had his passport seized by authorities in February — an ominous sign for anyone under investigation. Others close to Mr. Bolsonaro find themselves in hot water, too.

Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, who served as Army commander and defense minister under Mr. Bolsonaro, and Walter Braga Netto, who served as...