Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed concern about the possibility that the National Congress will vote in favor of a bill granting amnesty to former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023) and those involved in the January 8, 2023, coup attempt.

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During a speech in Belo Horizonte, in the southeast of the country, Lula said: “Another thing we need to know is that if this is voted on in Congress, we run the risk of amnesty.”

The bill, sponsored by right-wing sectors, seeks to alleviate or annul the sentences of hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters who participated in the assault on Congress, the Supreme Court, and the government headquarters in Brasilia, the country’s capital.

This coup movement occurred after Bolsonaro’s electoral defeat in 2022, when his supporters attempted to overturn the election results.

Lula highlighted the influence of the far right in the Brazilian political landscape and underscored the need for popular mobilization to prevent those responsible for the coup attempt from going unpunished. “The far right is still very strong,” the president stated, urging citizens to get involved in this fight.

The attempted coup of January 8, 2023, marked a critical episode in Brazilian democracy. In this context, authorities arrested hundreds of people, many of whom are facing legal proceedings.

Bolsonaro and Washington’s influence are being blamed for the events. The far-right leader is being tried for five different crimes, with maximum sentences of more than 40 years in prison, and his sentencing will be announced on September 12.

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