Brazil, the plot against the judge of the Supreme Court “enemy” of Bolsonaro to prevent the inauguration of Lula

Brazilian Senator Marcos do Val denounced a new alleged subversive plan hatched by the former president Jair Bolsonaro and the former federal deputy Daniel Silveira to arrest the Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraescancel the elections of last October 2022 and prevent the inauguration of the president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. A few hours after the publication of the interview-complaint on the weekly “Veja” and on “TvGlobo”, in which of the Val tells of a secret meeting with Bolsonaro of last December 9, the senator partially retracted, changed his version several times and finally denounced the judge himself de Moraeswhich he swore he wanted to defend, asking for his removal from investigations on the attempted coup d’état of last January 8 which they see the circle tightening ever more around Bolsonaro. The judge in turn entered the senator in the register of suspects in the same file. Once again from the political-judicial clash emerge dense and complex plots that show the fragility of the Brazilian institutional framework, the risk of destabilization of which has never been so acute.

Last Friday the Senator of the Val he reconstructed the alleged plan amidst tears to the press. On December 7, 2022 while he was in parliament would speak on the phone with Bolsonaro with the cell phone of Silveira. In the brief conversation, the former head of state declared that he had an “important” and “urgent” issue to deal with that he needed to talk to. The meeting was set for December 9th. Silveira would have provided indications to avoid logging of access by of the Val to the presidential palace. “He gave me an appointment in a parking lot where he came to pick me up in a car belonging to President Bolsonaro. With that I was led to the meeting,” he said. About 40 minutes of meeting where the only one talking would be Silveira mind Bolsonaro “He just nodded.”

Silveira he said that from Val he had been chosen to become a “national hero”. “The idea was for me to make an appointment with the judge de Moraes. Silveira – reconstructs do Val on TV – he wanted me to go and talk to him with a tape recorder on me. During the match I should have pushed De Moraes to admit that he has exceeded the limits of his own prerogative provided for by the constitution. Done this Bolsonaro he could have arrested him, canceled the elections and remain president. Silveira at that point he would have reported that everything would have already been planned with the support of the Toilet Institutional Security (GSI)and of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) which would have supplied the necessary equipment for the recordings and guaranteed ‘legal cover’ for the operation. The Senator argues that at the time of exit Bolsonaro that during the meeting he would have only nodded, would have said to him “we await your response”. Out of the meeting of the Valhad contacted the judge de Moraes asking him for a meeting. Two days later, on the sidelines of a meeting of the Cuthad informed him of everything.

And at this point the versions diverge. According to the Senator, de Moraes he would dismiss the idea as ridiculous and let it go. Second de Moraesinstead, he would have asked a of the Val to file a formal complaint so that we could proceed with investigations e checks. From this different reconstruction comes the complaint for omissions in official documents filed against the judge by do Val, who felt betrayed. For his part, the judge added the senator to the list of suspects of the attempted coup in January. Net of the judicial truth of the case, the question is purely political. While hot, even in circles close to the majority and the president himself Lula there had been shouts of yet another attempted coup, with the passing of the days the reading of the events has changed. What might have seemed a conscientious will to protect the rule of law on the part of the Bolsonarist senator is today seen instead as an attempt to disqualify the judge of the Supreme Court.

De Moraesthe sworn enemy of Bolsonarismo, holds all the dossier more compromising for Bolsonaro and his supporters. Investigations launched since 2019 into anti-democratic acts and violent and subversive actions against parliament and Supreme Court which have already led to the arrest of numerous supporters of the former president and the condemnation of the former deputy himself Silveira at 8 years and 9 months for attacking the rule of law, then pardoned by the president Bolsonaro. The judge de Moraes he is also the president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) who certified the election of Lula and that he had been in the crosshairs of the Bolsonaro government for years during the campaign to denounce the flaws in the electoral system and the never experienced risk of fraud.

Also, in the draft of the “state of emergency” found in the former minister’s house Anderson Torresthe proposal was to install a military-led junta right at the Tse, to suspend the result of the elections and prevent Lula to come to power. The plan provided for the imperial intervention following the chaos generated on the streets. A chaos which according to the investigations would have been planned organized by Bolsonaro’s own supporters in the camp in front of the army headquarters. From there mob groups they had left on December 12 to assault the federal police and from there on December 24 the three responsible for the numb attack near the airport had left, where they had tried without success to blow up a fuel truck. A picture of subversive actions which also includes the attempt to record alleged compromising conversations of the judge of Moraes. All in December. All nuanced attempts that would have generated the frustration unleashed on January 8 against the buildings of power, with the support of parts of the state. A picture that, although easier to read, continues to keep the young and fragile Brazilian democracy under stress.