MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Parliamentary commission votes to prosecute Bolsonaro

Democracy has been attacked and the masses have been manipulated with hate speech, argued Senator Eliziane Gama

A Brazilian Joint Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPMI) investigating the Jan. 8 riots in Brasilia approved Wednesday, with 20 votes in favor and one abstention, a motion by case rapporteur Senator Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA) to indict former President Jair Bolsonaro and 60 other people, including five former ministers and eight generals, for attempting a coup d'état during the invasion of the headquarters of the three branches of government, Agencia Brasil reported.

In addition to Bolsonaro, the list includes Generals Walter Braga Netto, Augusto Heleno, Luiz Eduardo Ramos, Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, Marco Antonio Freire Gomes, Ridauto Lúcio Fernandes, Carlos Feitosa Rodrigues, and Carlos José Penteado; former Navy Chief Admiral Almir Garnier Santos; Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid; former Justice Minister Anderson Torres; and former Federal Highway Police Director General Silvinei Vasques.

The report calls for Bolsonaro to be charged with criminal association, attempting to violently overthrow the democratic rule of law, attempting to depose a legitimately constituted government, and using measures to prevent the free exercise of political rights. According to the rapporteur, Bolsonaro was the intellectual author of the anti-democratic acts.

Gama also included the names of several other military personnel, Federal Highway Police officers and members of the Federal District Military Police, as well as several people suspected of having financed or influenced the attempted coup during the Jan. 8 events.

“Democracy was attacked. Hate speech was used to manipulate the masses. Digital militias were used to spread fear, disqualify opponents, and promote attacks on the electoral system. Security forces were co-opted. Attempts were made to corrupt, obstruct and annul the elections. And they are using freedom of expression to drown it out,” Gama said while reading the document, which will be sent to the Federal Prosecutor's Office for further proceedings.

During the seven-hour discussion, parliamentarians spoke for and against the charges. For the government, the report provides explanations that preceded the Jan. 8 events as well as evidence that there was an attempt to instrumentalize the state and co-opt the military to overthrow democracy.

The opposition downplayed the document on the grounds that it was partial and biased because it did not include members of the federal government in the list of defendants, such as the former head of the Institutional Security Office (GSI), General Gonçalves Dias, who testified before the CPI.

Before announcing the result, CPMI president Arthur Maia (União-BA) said the issue had been dealt with fairly and impartially, and concluded by stressing that the CPMI did not seek to discredit the Armed Forces. “All the deputies and senators who participated in this commission want the best for this country and are radically opposed to what happened on January 8 of this year,” he said. “Above all, we conclude with this feeling: to value our democracy and to recognize the role of the Parliament in bringing this truth to light.”

(Source: Agencia Brasil)