Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had deliberate to flee to Argentina

BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil’s federal police mentioned messages discovered on the phone of former President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed he as soon as wished to flee to Argentina and request political asylum, in response to paperwork seen Wednesday by The Related Press.

Bolsonaro is at present awaiting a Supreme Courtroom ruling about an alleged coup try and discovered Wednesday he may face one other case as police formally accused him and considered one of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, of obstruction of justice in connection together with his trial.

The 170-page report mentioned Bolsonaro had drafted a request for political asylum from Argentine President Javier Milei’s authorities dated Feb. 10, 2024. He saved the doc two days after authorities searched his house and workplace as a part of the alleged coup plot investigation.

Near that date, Bolsonaro admittedly spent two nights on the Hungarian Embassy in Brasília, fueling hypothesis he might have been making an attempt to keep away from arrest.

The Argentina plot is a part of the broader police accusation of obstruction of justice, during which Bolsonaro has allegedly ignored precautionary measures established for his home arrest and unfold content material to his allies “to directly hit Brazilian democratic institutions, notably the Supreme Court and even Brazil’s Congress,” in response to the report.

The AP reviewed the police proof, which included messaging app exchanges and voice messages, after police forwarded the paperwork to Brazil’s Supreme Courtroom. Bolsonaro would face one other trial if the attorney-general decides to cost him.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the case, gave Bolsonaro’s legal professionals 48 hours to clarify why the previous president sought political asylum in Argentina and didn’t adjust to different precautionary measures of his home arrest, corresponding to avoiding contact with folks exterior his household circle.

Asylum in Argentina

In a 33-page letter addressed to Milei, Bolsonaro claimed he was being politically persecuted in Brazil. Each are staunch supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has lately repeated a few of the former president’s claims in his determination to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian exports.

“I, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, request political asylum from Your Excellency in the Republic of Argentina, under an urgent regime, as I find myself in a situation of political persecution in Brazil and fear for my life,” the previous Brazilian chief wrote.

Bolsonaro had his passport seized by Brazil’s Supreme Courtroom in on Feb. 8, 2024. He has repeatedly sought to get it again, together with previous to Trump’s inauguration earlier this 12 months. De Moraes rejected all requests as the previous president is seen as a flight threat.

Manuel Adorni, spokesperson for Milei, mentioned the Argentine authorities hasn’t acquired something but. Bolsonaro didn’t remark in regards to the investigation.

The previous Brazilian president attended Milei’s inauguration in December 2023, whereas the serving President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva didn’t attend. Lula and Milei have had a frosty relationship for the reason that right-wing Argentine took workplace.

Silas Malafaia, a highly regarded evangelical pastor who’s a staunch ally of Bolsonaro’s, had his passport and mobile phone seized by investigators however was not formally accused of obstruction of justice.

Praising Trump

Brazil’s federal police gathered a number of messages between Bolsonaro and his son during which they present curiosity in praising Trump to have an effect on authorized proceedings again house.

“You won’t have time to reverse the situation if the guy here turns his back on you. Everything here is very touchy, every little thing affects you,” Eduardo Bolsonaro advised his father in one of many exchanges.

“In today’s situation, you don’t even need to worry about jail; you won’t be arrested. But I’m afraid things will change here (in the United States). Even inside the White House, there are people telling (Trump): ‘OK, Brazil is gone. Let’s move on’,” Eduardo Bolsonaro mentioned.

Earlier, Eduardo Bolsonaro mentioned in a press release that he “never aimed at interfering in any ongoing proceedings in Brazil.” He added the conversations together with his father which might be a part of the investigation are “absolutely normal” and its publication has a political bias.

Some exchanges additionally present frictions sauced with expletives between father and son. Eduardo, who moved to the U.S. earlier this 12 months regardless of holding a seat in Brazil’s congress, calls Bolsonaro “ungrateful” for his efforts to affect the Trump administration of their favor.

Eduardo Bolsonaro additionally asks his father to “ACT RESPONSIBLY” so he does not have to stay for much longer within the U.S.

Avoiding jail

Eduardo Bolsonaro additionally mentioned he had secured U.S. authorities help “with great difficulty,” claiming that he and an ally, Paulo Figueiredo, have been the one ones with entry to the White Home. He additionally advised his father that Trump’s stress was the one probability Bolsonaro needed to keep away from jail.

“The most powerful man in the world is on your side. We did our part,” Eduardo texted on July 10.

Brazil’s federal police additionally investigated conversations between Bolsonaro and Martin de Luca, a lawyer for video platform Rumble and the Trump Media Group in a case difficult Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the investigations in opposition to the previous president. De Luca despatched the previous president details about Rumble’s lawsuit in opposition to de Moraes within the U.S.

On July 14, De Luca wrote to Bolsonaro, saying he was receiving interview requests from U.S. media for the previous president. That very same day, Bolsonaro despatched De Luca a voice message searching for his recommendation.

“I drafted a note, I think I sent it to you, with four short paragraphs. It is good, praising Trump, saying that freedom is much more important than economic issues,” Bolsonaro mentioned. “I was really happy with Trump, very grateful to him. Please guide me with a short statement from your side, so I can post it on my channels and send it back to you.”

A verdict and sentence within the coup trial will come from a Supreme Courtroom panel of 5 justices. They’re scheduled to announce their rulings between Sept. 2 and 12. The brand new findings is not going to be a part of that call.

Prosecutors say Bolsonaro and a number of other of his allies headed a felony group that plotted to overturn the election, together with plans to kill Lula and de Moraes.