accused of “attempted coup d’état”, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro will hand over his passport to the federal police

Former President Jair Bolsonaro will hand over his passport to the Brazilian authorities after being targeted, Thursday, February 8, by a police operation on suspicion of an “attempted coup d’état”. A year ago, thousands of supporters of the former far-right president had ransacked several official buildings and places of power in the country’s capital, Brasilia.

“In respect of the decisions taken today”, I have r Bolsonaro will “hand over your passport to the authorities”wrote on the social network X Fabio Wajngarten, lawyer and close collaborator of the former head of state.

Several searches against relatives

The federal police announced that they had launched a vast operation, with 33 searches and four arrest warrants, as part of an investigation into “a criminal organization which took part in an attempted coup d’état (…) to obtain political advantages by maintaining the president of the time in power”. The leader in question is Jair Bolsonaro, defeated in October 2022 in his attempt at re-election against Lula.

According to the Brazilian press, four generals were targeted by Thursday’s operation, such as the former Minister of Defense and vice-presidential candidate alongside Jair Bolsonaro, and the former Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet.

Last week, one of the former head of state’s sons was targeted by another police operation, as part of an investigation into illegal espionage during the mandate of Jair Bolsonaro. The police speak of an attempt to “disseminate suspicions of fraud in the 2022 presidential elections even before the vote is held, to legitimize military intervention.