by EuroNews
It’s published
Brazilian federal police say he found a message on the phone of former President Jea Bolsonaro, indicating that he wanted to flee to Argentina and demand political asylum.
Bolsonaro is currently awaiting a Supreme Court decision on the suspect in the coup and learned that he might face another case as police officially accused him and one of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, of obstructing justice in connection with his trial.
According to a 170-page report, Bolsonaro has drafted a request for political asylum from the government of Argentine Javier Mailey on February 10, 2024.
He saved the documents two days after authorities searched their home and office as part of their coup plot investigation.
Near that date, Bolsonaro apparently spent two nights at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia, spurring speculation that he might have been trying to avoid an arrest.
The Argentine conspiracy was part of a wider police charge of obstructing the judiciary, with Bolsonaro reportedly ignoring the precautions established for his home arrest and ignoring his allies “directly attacking Brazil’s democratic systems, especially the Supreme Court, and even the Brazilian Parliament.”
Obstructing the accusation of justice
In a 33-page letter to Mairay, Bolsonaro argued that he was being politically persecuted in Brazil.
“I, Gere Messias Bolsonaro, found myself in a situation of political persecution in Brazil and fear of my life, so I am requesting political asylum from your Excellency in the Republic of Argentina under an urgent regime,” the former Brazilian leader wrote.
Brazilian police have gathered several messages between Bolsonaro and his son. There, he expressed his interest in celebrating President Donald Trump’s influence on his hometown’s legal process.
“If the guy here turns his back on you, there’s no time to turn things around, everything here is very troublesome.
Eduardo Bolsonaro also said he secured the support of the US government “very difficult” by claiming that he and his ally Paulo Figuered were the only ones with access to the White House.
He also told his father that pressure from Trump was the only chance Bolsonaro had to avoid prison.
“The world’s most powerful man is by your side. We’ve done our part,” Eduardo wrote in text on July 10th.
The coup trial’s ruling and ruling comes from the five-person Supreme Court panel. They are expected to announce the verdict between September 2nd and 12th. The new findings are not part of that decision.
Prosecutors say Bolsonaro and several of his allies led criminal organizations that planned to overturn the election, including a plan to kill current President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Mores.
Additional sources •AP
