Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has been given the possibility to run for political office until 2030 by the country’s highest electoral court. The court reportedly found him guilty of abusing his power and misusing public media during the 2022 election campaign.
This verdict effectively ends any chance of Bolsonaro making a political comeback in the upcoming elections in 2026. Five of the seven judges ruled against the former president, while two dissented. As a result, the former president is now banned from holding any public office for the next 8 years.
The case against Bolsonaro stems from a meeting he held with foreign ambassadors in July 2022. During the meeting, he spread false information about Brazil’s electoral system, questioning its credibility ahead of the controversial election. The meeting was broadcast live on the official television and YouTube channels. However, YouTube pulled the live stream for violating its policy on fake news.
Judge Alexandre De Moraes stated that the verdict would show that the Brazilian authorities do not tolerate “criminal extremism attacking the powers of the State, fake news, disinformation to try to deceive voters”.
Bolsonaro has consistently denied any wrongdoing and plans to appeal the court’s decision. Following his narrow defeat to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 elections, Bolsonaro’s supporters engaged in riots and stormed government buildings in Brasilia.
The case at the Superior Electoral Court was initiated by the Democratic Labor Party of Brazil, targeting both Bolsonaro and his running mate, Walter Braga Netto. However, the majority of judges found Braga Netto not guilty. Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right politician who served as Brazil’s president from 2019 to 2022, lost this year’s election by the narrowest margin in decades to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In the wake of the election results, Bolsonaro’s supporters on January 8 stormed government buildings in Brasilia, sparking further protracted unrest in the country.
Frequently asked questions
Q1: When did Jair Bolsonaro become president of Brazil?
A1: Jair Bolsonaro took office as Brazil’s 38th president on January 1, 2019. His term ended on December 31, 2022.
Q2: How long is Jair Bolsonaro banned from political office?
A2: The former president of Brazil is banned from holding political office until 2030. This means he cannot run for any public office in Brazil for the next 8 years.
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