Former Bolsonaro aide Mauro Cid exposes how the ex-president altered a coup d’état decree after the 2022 elections, removing planned arrests of Supreme Court judges and congressional leaders, revealing the far-right’s authoritarian intentions.

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In a startling revelation, Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, former personal secretary to Jair Bolsonaro, disclosed that the ex-president personally read and edited a decree designed to facilitate a coup d’état following Brazil’s 2022 elections.

According to Cid’s testimony before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF), Bolsonaro altered the document to eliminate the planned detention of key government officials, including Supreme Court justices and congressional leaders.

Authoritarian Plans to Overturn 2022 Election Results

Cid explained that Bolsonaro’s team drafted a decree that envisaged authoritarian measures aimed at nullifying the legitimate victory of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The original text included arrests of high-ranking officials such as STF judges, the president of the Senate, and the president of the Chamber of Deputies. However, after “two or at most three meetings,” Bolsonaro’s edits reduced this list to only include the president of the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

The decree also accused the STF and TSE of interfering in Bolsonaro’s cabinet and the electoral process, framing the judiciary as an obstacle to the former president’s hold on power.

O que faz um democrata quando recebe uma minuta de um golpe de Estado. Repudia e dá voz de prisão à intentona golpista ou EDITA o documento? Mauro Cid confirmou que Bolsonaro não só sabia, como trabalhou pelo golpe. pic.twitter.com/8LIy2XUxKt

— Erika Kokay (@erikakokay) June 9, 2025

The text reads: What does a democrat do when they receive a draft of a coup d’état? Do they repudiate it and order the arrest of the coup plotters, or do they EDIT the document? Mauro Cid confirmed that Bolsonaro not only knew about it but also worked toward the coup.

The second part of the decree outlined a roadmap for imposing states of defense and siege, detaining officials, and establishing an Electoral Council to call for new elections under conditions favorable to Bolsonaro’s faction. This plan represented a direct assault on Brazil’s democratic institutions and electoral sovereignty.

While Cid confirmed his knowledge of the decree’s content and Bolsonaro’s involvement in editing it, he clarified that he did not witness the meetings where the operational details of the coup were discussed.

This revelation comes amid growing concerns about the rise of far-right authoritarianism in Latin America, where former leaders like Bolsonaro have sought to undermine democratic processes through legal manipulation and extra-constitutional measures.

The Brazilian case echoes similar patterns in the region, where progressive governments face destabilization attempts backed by reactionary forces.

The testimony of Mauro Cid exposes the extent of Bolsonaro’s willingness to subvert democracy and highlights the importance of vigilance and resistance by democratic institutions and popular movements.

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