Brazil's ex-president Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in prison
Brazil's Supreme Court has sentenced Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison. The court found the 70-year-old former president guilty of leading a conspiracy to remain in office after his election defeat in 2022, making him become the first former president in the country's history to be convicted of an attack on democracy.
A clear message to the world
El País demands:
“The ruling should be accompanied by deep reflection and reforms to ensure that the armed forces are never again tempted by caudillismo or political intervention. ... Democratic parties have the obligation to offer Brazilians a horizon of stability, social justice and trust in the institutions that closes the wounds opened by years of polarisation. The media must combat the lies that fed this authoritarian project. And civil society must remain vigilant so that such an attack on democracy is never repeated. ... Today Brazil is sending a message to the world: no ruler can defy the law without having to face the consequences.”
Incomplete victory for democracy
Brazilian society is still far from being reconciled, Le Monde stresses:
“For a country that was subjected to the arbitrariness and brutality of a military dictatorship until 1985, this ruling is proof of maturity. ... However, this victory for democracy is by no means complete. ... The extreme political polarisation for which the US was the testing ground and which then spread to Brazil has unfortunately meant that the 11 September verdict has not yet turned the page on a dark chapter in the country's history. On the contrary, it has revived its divisions, despite the disastrous results of Jair Bolsonaro's term in office, particularly regarding environmental and health issues. The challenge of reconciliation remains.”
This success must be defended
This is a landmark ruling for other countries too, writes The Guardian:
“Despite [Brazil's] lengthy history of coups, no member of the military had been convicted of coup-related offences in a civilian court until now. … The conviction of Bolsonaro has sent a powerful signal heard not only in his country but more broadly: that leaders must be held accountable if they undermine democratic norms. Brazil has successfully upheld the will of the people against the scheming of a populist would-be autocrat. This victory must be defended, but it shows others what is possible.”