Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Saturday he was “not afraid of any trial,” a day after documents released by the Supreme Court revealed two senior military officials said the populist was plotting to stay in power after losing the 2022 elections.
Mr. Bolsonaro avoided commenting on the content of the numerous investigations targeting him, but claimed that he had been the victim of “persecution” for causing unrest on the country’s political left. In February, authorities confiscated Mr. Bolsonaro’s passport.
“I could very well be in another country, but I decided to come back here at all costs. I am not afraid of any trial, as long as the judges are impartial,” said Mr. Bolsonaro in Rio de Janeiro, during a campaign event for the race for mayor of the city.
Court documents released on Saturday included testimony from Mr. Bolsonaro’s former army and air commanders to police, who said they had refused the former leader’s demands and that they would stop if he tried to stay in power.
The testimonies include the first direct mentions of the right-wing leader as actively participating in a plot to ignore the results of the October 2022 elections won by his rival, current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Even as the new information was revealed, Mr. Bolsonaro appeared to be traveling to different cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro, posting videos on the social network X. The embattled politician was pictured surrounded by crowds of supporters cheering and wearing Brazil’s yellow soccer jersey, which has become an emblem of its right-wing movement.
The statements only added to a growing pile of legal problems for Mr Bolsonaro, as prosecutors seek to find links between the far-right leader and the January 8, 2023 riots that destroyed government buildings in the capital Brasilia, a week after Mr. Lula’s inauguration.
The right-wing populist has denied allegations that he and his supporters attempted a coup in the 2023 attacks.