(RepublicanView.org) – Federal police in Brazil have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro on money laundering and criminal association charges. The charges relate to diamonds Mr. Bolsonaro allegedly received from Saudi Arabia and did not declare. It is the latest in many accusations against the former President. Last year, police similarly accused him of falsifying documents and of selling two luxury watches he received from the Saudi government for $70,000 without paying related taxes.
In a separate case comparable to that of Donald Trump, Bolsonaro was also accused of inciting riots in the country’s capital, Brasilia, intended to remove his successor from power. After months of hearings, Senator Eliziane Gama announced a report recommending charges against Mr. Bolsonaro, including conspiracy to overthrow a democratically elected leader.
The incident happened on January 8, 2023. Following riots at the country’s legislature in Brasilia, more than 1,500 were arrested, including many of Bolsonaro’s senior officials and aides.
Buildings that came under attack included the Supreme Court, Presidential Palace, and Congress. Protestors furthermore established camps outside military installations, demanding the armed forces take control of the nation and remove new President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. A court subsequently barred Bolsonaro from running for office again until 2030. The court found that he had used government communication channels to undermine the election result that brought da Silva to power and promoted distrust of democracy among the country’s electorate. Judge Carmen Lucia of the Supreme Court said the facts proving his guilt were “incontrovertible.”
The recent indictment involving the laundering and criminal association charges will now undergo examination by the country’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will decide whether to bring the former President to trial. Bolsonaro served as President from 2019 to 2023. He is considered a right-wing populist with support from Christian conservatives. Several commentators have referred to him as “Brazil’s Donald Trump,” for whom Bolsonaro has repeatedly expressed admiration.
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