Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasília on July 17. Mateus Bonomi/AFP via Getty Images
Mateus Bonomi/AFP via Getty Images
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazil’s Supreme Court has sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison for attempting a coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election.
The verdict is historic: It marks the first time a former Brazilian head of state has gone on trial for attempting to overthrow the government.
The 70-year-old far-right leader, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, and seven alleged co-conspirators faced accusations ranging from plotting a coup, attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democratic order, and participating in an armed criminal group.
President Trump was quick to react the news about his former political ally, telling reporters at the White House that he thought Bolsonaro “was a good president of Brazil” and that the conviction was “very surprising.” He added, “It’s very much like what they tried to do with me, but they didn’t get away with it at all.”