Recently revealed by media outlets, the testimony of Army General Marco Antônio Freire Gomes to the Federal Police (PF) indicates that former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) was directly involved in the coup attempt that would have occurred after the election of President Lula (PT), in 2022. According to Freire Gomes, Bolsonaro would have presented a document at a meeting with legal factors that would allow the action. The testimony implicates numerous other members of the last government and the then Commander of the Navy. Freire Gomes’ testimony is reinforced by what the then Air Force Commander Carlos Baptista Júnior reported to the PF.
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Legal Mechanisms
According to the report of the Army commander at the time, the then head of the Executive presented, in meetings at Palácio do Alvorada, three different legal mechanisms that would allow an anti-democratic rupture after the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula na Silva (PT) at the polls. Bolsonaro presented hypotheses for using: Law and Order Guarantee Operation (GLO), State of Defense, and State of Siege concerning the electoral process.
Meetings
One of the meetings narrated by the commanders of the Army and Air Force took place on 7 December 2022, at the presidential residence. Freire Gomes and Baptista Júnior were invited by the then Defense Minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira. On that occasion, excerpts from a draft of the coup were presented.
Bolsonaro’s direct participation in preparing the coup content is reinforced by a second meeting narrated by Freire Gomes, with the presence of the commanders of the Armed Forces. The former president presented on the occasion a version of the document with the “Decree of the State of Defense” and the creation of an “Electoral Regularity Commission”, which would have the objective of “investigating the conformity and legality of the electoral process”.
Opposition and Support of the Armed Forces
Freire Gomes says that he was opposed to the proposal, a position that, according to him, was followed by Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior, then commander of the Air Force.
However, according to Baptista Júnior and Freire Gomes, the Navy commander at the time, Admiral Almir Garnier Santos, placed troops at the disposal of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) when discussing plans to try to prevent the inauguration of President Lula (PT). The statements by Baptista Júnior and the general reinforce what had been said by Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, that Garnier had agreed to the idea of the coup.
Threat of Prison and Army Was Fundamental
According to the testimony of former FAB Commander Baptista Júnior, Freire Gomes threatened to arrest Bolsonaro if he attempted an institutional break. The military also declared that if Gomes had joined the coup attempt, it would have been completed.
Bolsonaro’s Defense
Lawyer and former head of Secom Fabio Wajngarten criticized General Freire Gomes on social media and questioned the reliability of the reports given by the former heads of the forces. He questioned the fact that the generals did not remember the exact dates of certain meetings.
Analysis:
The statements from the heads of the Armed Forces increase the chances of the former President’s arrest and therefore of mobilizing his political base both on the streets, as was the case with the demonstration on February 25th, and in Congress, looking for ways to put pressure on the government and authorities of other powers not to advance in actions against the former agent.
In a scenario of intense demonstrations, roads, and streets may be blocked in urban centers. At the same time, in Congress, the high number of opposition federal deputies can block government agendas and blackmail the political group called “Centrão”, which currently holds the presidency of the Federal Chamber, as has already been suggested by local media.
However, the movement of the economy, the repressions carried out in previous acts – after the 2022 elections -, which led thousands to prison; in addition to changing the commands of the police forces responsible for repressing acts in public places, they are making great efforts to dissuade popular actions on roads and urban centers.
Source: O Globo [1], [2], [3]; G1 [1], [2]; Folha de SP [1], [2], [3], [4], [5].
