Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro denied consulting top military leaders about staging a coup to prevent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking over as president in January.
Three members of Bolsonaro’s legal team said in a statement published on social media on Thursday that Bolsonaro “never taken any measure that would conflict with the limits and guarantees established by the Constitution”.
On Thursday, several Brazilian media outlets reported that Colonel Mauro Cid, a personal friend and former top adviser to Bolsonaro, had confirmed these meetings in statements to federal police.
Cid claimed to have been present at these meetings, with then-navy commander Admiral Almir Garnier Santos telling Bolsonaro that his men were ready to respond to the request.
In turn, the army leadership stated that it would not join the alleged coup, according to the O Globo newspaper.
Cid’s statements are part of a cooperation agreement reached with the Court after he was detained in May as part of an operation to manipulate vaccination cards to circumvent movement restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. , contributing to the Saudi jewelry scandal, for sale or inclusion as Bolsonaro’s personal assets.
Bolsonaro’s legal team also said the former president did not take any measures that violated the law during his administration between 2019 and 2022.
Bolsonaro has been the target of several investigations since leaving office, including one into his role in the Jan. 8 invasion of Congress, the Federal Supreme Court and the Palácio do Planalto by supporters.
Source: DN
