Brazilian prosecutors have charged former President Jair Bolsonaro with planning to remove an elected government after his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.
The charges, announced on Tuesday, claim Bolsonaro led a group that wanted to disrupt the country’s democracy and prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office.
The case follows a two-year investigation into the post-election unrest that saw Bolsonaro’s supporters storm government buildings in the capital, BrasÃlia, just one week after Lula’s inauguration.
Many of those involved reportedly believed their actions would justify military intervention to keep Bolsonaro in power.
Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet charged Bolsonaro and 33 others, including his former running mate Walter Braga, former national security adviser Augusto Heleno, and retired Navy Admiral Almir Garnier Santos.
Authorities claimed the group planned to create instability, with some reports mentioning a plot to poison Lula.
Bolsonaro’s legal team has denied the accusations, stating that he has never supported any actions that undermine Brazil’s democracy or its institutions.