The governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas (Republicans), went to social networks to defend former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), who on Wednesday, 26, became a defendant for attempted coup after trial of the first class of the Supreme Court (STF). The decision was unanimous.
Tarcisio, who is quoted as the main name to replace Bolsonaro in the 2026 presidential election, said the former president is Brazil’s main political leadership “and so will follow.” The governor rejects any possibility of disputing the Plateau and repeats that his candidate is Bolsonaro, even with him ineligible and facing the accusation in the Supreme Court.
“We know that this is not the first and it will not be the last challenge to be faced, but we also know that the truth will prevail and its innocence will be proven. I am sure that Bolsonaro will lead this process with the courage that always motivated everyone around it. Follow with me and the millions of Brazilians who are by his side,” wrote the governor in X (former Twitter).
Tarcisio’s defense will not be just on the internet: the governor said on Monday that he will witness in favor of Bolsonaro before the Supreme. “I have a great gratitude and I will be grateful and loyal always. I have never seen the President Armando to do something out of the Constitution,” Tarcisio said in an interview with Podcast Intelligence Ltda.
The First Class of the Supreme Court accepted a complaint from the Attorney General’s Office against Bolsonaro and seven other high-ranking politicians and military personnel. They are: Walter Braga Netto (former Minister of Defense and Civil House), Augusto Heleno (former Minister of the Institutional Security Office), Alexandre Ramagem (former director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency), Anderson Torres (former Minister of Justice), Almir Garnier (former Navy Commander), Paulo Sérgio Nogueira (former Minister of Defense) and Mauro Cid (former Assistant Presidency).
The PGR asks them to be convicted of criminal organization (a penalty of 3 to 8 years, and may reach 17 with aggravating release in the complaint), violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law (sentence of 4 to 8 years), coup (4 to 12 years), qualified damage using violence and serious threat (penalty from 6 months to 3 years) and deterioration of equity (1 to 3 years).
