Former President Bolsonaro Sentenced for Coup Attempt in Brazil

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to stage a coup d'état, conspiring to eliminate the rule of law, and belonging to a criminal organization.

During his presidency, Bolsonaro championed an ultra-conservative political agenda that deepened neoliberal policies and attacked fundamental social rights. He weaponized hatred against leftists, the LGBTIQ+ community, women, and the Black population. This rhetoric emboldened ultra-reactionary sectors and resulted in several political assassinations and attacks against left-wing individuals. The radical left-wing publication, Left Diary, emphasizes that during the pandemic, Bolsonaro promoted a denialist discourse akin to the U.S. far-right, which led to the deaths of more than 700,000 Brazilians.

A Blow to the International Right

Although the conviction occurs within the institutional framework of capitalist law and the state, the decision represents a significant blow to an increasingly powerful international right that seemed to have an open path forward. It raises the question of whether the capitalist judicial system can halt the rise of figures like Milei, Trump, and Netanyahu without a mass movement that shifts the balance in favor of the exploited and oppressed classes.