By Peter Weber
Copyright theweek
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Less than $3 per week
View Profile
The Explainer
Talking Points
The Week Recommends
Newsletters
From the Magazine
The Week Junior
Food & Drink
Personal Finance
All Categories
Newsletter sign up
Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years for coup attempt
Bolsonaro was convicted of attempting to stay in power following his 2022 election loss
Newsletter sign up
Bolsonaro was sentenced to more than 27 years behind bars
(Image credit: Sergio Lima / AFP via Getty Images)
Peter Weber, The Week US
12 September 2025
What happened
Brazil’s Supreme Court on Thursday convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro of conspiring to thwart his 2022 presidential election loss by plotting a coup. The justices, who found Bolsonaro guilty in a 4-1 vote, sentenced him to 27 years and three months in prison. They also handed down long sentences to four of Bosonaro’s seven co-conspirators, including two former defense ministers and a former spy chief.
Who said what
The verdict made Bolsonaro the “first former Brazilian president to be convicted of attempting a coup” in a country that has endured several successful ones, The Associated Press said. The 70-year-old former army captain has “never hid his admiration for the military dictatorship that killed hundreds of Brazilians between 1964 and 1985,” Reuters said.
Brazil “almost returned to its 20-year dictatorship because a criminal organization, comprised of a political group, doesn’t know how to lose elections,” Justice Alexandre de Moraes said before casting his guilty vote. “And the evidence is abundant.” The coup plot, detailed in a two-year police investigation, envisioned dissolving the Supreme Court, giving sweeping powers to the military and assassinating the election winner, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, plus Moraes and other officials.
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week’s Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Bolsonaro maintained his innocence, but “as the trial marched toward a verdict over the last two weeks,” he “found himself abandoned by some allies accused of plotting the coup alongside him,” The New York Times said. He “also faced damaging testimony from his personal secretary and records showing that the assassination plot was printed out and brought to the presidential palace.” The expected guilty verdict led Bolsonaro to “place his faith in a Hail Mary from abroad,” President Donald Trump, who unsuccessfully “sought to force Brazil to drop the case” by imposing “eye-watering 50% tariffs” and hitting Moraes with “some of the harshest sanctions the United States has at its disposal.”
What next?
As “many Brazilians began celebrating” the verdict, “authorities braced for a backlash from the White House,” The Wall Street Journal said. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media that the Trump administration “will respond accordingly to this witch hunt.”
Sign up for Today’s Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Explore More
Peter Weber, The Week US
Social Links Navigation
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site’s launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
Cameron House Resort & Spa: a luxurious lakeside haven
The Week Recommends
This stunning five-star resort on the shores of Loch Lomond is perfect for a special Scottish getaway
Albania’s AI government minister: a portent of things to come?
In The Spotlight
A bot called Diella has been tasked with tackling the country’s notorious corruption problem
Hyatt Regency Lisbon: a tranquil oasis in the historic district of Belém
The Week Recommends
With its sprawling spa and prime location overlooking the River Tagus, this luxury hotel is a great place to escape the bustle of the city
You might also like
Why does Donald Trump keep showing up at major sporting events?
Today’s Big Question
Trump has appeared at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and other events
Former top FBI agents sue, claiming Trump purge
The agents alleged they were targeted by a “campaign of retribution”
Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk shot dead at 31
Kirk was holding a debate session at Utah Valley University
Judge lets Cook stay at Fed while appealing ouster
Trump had attempted to fire Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud
Voting: Trump’s ominous war on mail ballots
Donald Trump wants to sign an executive order banning mail-in ballots for the 2026 midterms
The Secret Service is reportedly facing a massive sniper shortage
The Explainer
The agency is reportedly dealing with a 73% shortage
Trump soaks up adoration in his made-for-TV Cabinet meetings
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The president’s televised sessions have become a platform for his top lieutenants to demonstrate executive flattery
‘It’s hard to discern what it actually means’
Instant Opinion
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
View More ▸
Contact Future’s experts
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Advertise With Us
The Week is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street
