Brazil's Bolsonaro barred from office for eight years

The Supreme Electoral Court of Brazil has made a decision to bar former president Jair Bolsonaro from running for office for a duration of eight years, media reports said. Bolsonaro was found guilty of abusing his power during the previous presidential election by spreading false claims about the vulnerability of electronic voting machines to hacking and fraud.

The former president's actions were deemed detrimental to Brazilian democracy. Bolsonaro's legal team is anticipated to challenge the verdict, asserting that his statements did not impact the outcome of the election.

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In a decision reached by a majority vote of its seven judges, the Superior Electoral Court has convicted the68-year-old former president for abusing his power during the last presidential election which he narrowly lost to leftist candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The decision now opens up the opportunity for new leaders to emerge within the Brazilian right wing, which has been relatively inactive in opposition even after its success in congressional elections.

What was the trial?

The trial at the electoral court centred on Bolsonaro's actions regarding his hosting of foreign ambassadors in July of the election year. During the meeting, he expressed doubts about the reliability of Brazil's electronic voting machines.Opponents claimed that this gathering was a deliberate tactic to sow distrust in the electoral process.

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The meeting was broadcasted on live television and various social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

Judge's statement

Benedito Goncalves, the judge overseeing the case, accused Bolsonaro of delivering a "deceitful monologue about electronic voting and the electoral justice system . . . using scraps of false information already so naturalised in his rhetoric”.

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The court also presented a draft document discovered in the home of Bolsonaro's justice minister, Anderson Torres, which outlined plans to overturn the election results. This document demonstrated a broader strategy to cast doubt on the integrity of the electoral system.

Bolsonaro's response

Bolsonaro denied any wrongdoing and argued that the meeting with ambassadors had governmental, rather than electoral, purposes. He plans to appeal the court's decision at the Supreme Court. “I did not attack the voting system. I just showed its possible flaws," he said.

As a result of the verdict, Bolsonaro has been banned from participating in any elections, including local, state, and federal, for eight years. The ban applies retroactively from the first round of the 2022 presidential election, effectively barring him from contesting any polls until 2030.

However, he is still permitted to engage in political activities and expressed his intention to remain fully involved.

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