Top prosecutor expects to see second group of coup plotters charged
Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said he expects the country’s Supreme Court to fully accept the charges filed against the second group of individuals—dubbed Núcleo 2—involved in the coup plot that culminated in the riots of January 8.
Gonet began his speech by pointing out that all the material in the case has been made available to the defense, which is why he expects “the charges to be accepted in its entirety.”
The trial that should decide whether the six members of Núcleo 2 will face justice began on Tuesday (Apr. 22). The group comprises:
- Federal Police Chief Fernando de Sousa Oliveira;
- former Advisor for International Affairs to the President Filipe Garcia Martins Pereira;
- retired Army Colonel and former Advisor to the President Marcelo Costa Câmara;
- Federal Police Chief Marília Ferreira de Alencar;
- retired Army General and former Executive Secretary to the President Mário Fernandes;
- and former Director-General of the Federal Highway Police Silvinei Vasques.
The charges
Among the accusations are the so-called coup draft—a document aimed at legally justifying a coup d’état at the end of the Bolsonaro administration—the monitoring of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and efforts by the Federal Highway Police to hinder the movement of voters heading for their voting polls in the Northeast during the 2022 elections.
At the beginning of his speech, the prosecutor explained that the facts attributed to each of the accused were individual, “allowing each one to know what they are accused of as a description of atypical conduct,” he stated.
“As for [Núcleo 2], the accused held relevant professional positions at the time of the development of the plan of violent abolition of the democratic rule of law and the overthrow of the legitimately constituted government,” he went on to say.
According to him, Silvinei Vasques, Marília Ferreira de Alencar, and Fernando de Sousa Oliveira “coordinated the use of police forces to sustain Bolsonaro’s illegitimate stay in power.”
“Mário Fernandes was responsible for coordinating efforts to monitor and violently neutralize public authorities, along with Marcelo Costa Câmara, in addition to having engaged in dialogue with popular leaders linked to the riots on January 8, 2023, providing them with support,” he added.
Felipe Garcia Martins Pereira, the prosecutor argued, “presented and backed before the then president and military aides the draft decree that would shape the exceptional measures characterizing the planned coup.”
The session
The session began with a summary of the prosecution’s report being read out loud by the rapporteur of the case at the Supreme Court, Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Next, Gonet spoke. After that, the defense lawyers for each of the accused spoke, in alphabetical order.
In this procedural phase, the Supreme Court only examines whether the complaint meets the minimum legal requirements for the opening of a criminal case.
The crimes
The prosecution lists five crimes against democracy:
- armed criminal organization (which may lead to three to eight years in prison);
- attempt to violently abolish the democratic rule of law (four to eight years in prison);
- coup d’état (four to 12 years);
- damage qualified by violence and serious threat (six months to three years in prison);
- and deterioration of listed heritage (one to three years).
