Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro knew of and approved a plot to assassinate his successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as part of a coup attempt, Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said Tuesday. Bolsonaro and 33 others have been formally charged with trying to overturn the 2022 election results, reports DW.
According to the prosecutor's report, the scheme—codenamed "Green and Yellow Dagger"—was devised at the presidential palace to dismantle democratic institutions. Prosecutors say the plan included systematic attacks on Brazil’s electronic voting system, attempts to block voters from supporting Lula in the October 2022 runoff, and efforts to pressure military leaders into preventing his inauguration.
The alleged conspiracy escalated with the January 8, 2023, riots, when Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília. Investigators also uncovered a plot to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The plan involved poisoning Lula and shooting de Moraes, a longtime Bolsonaro adversary.
The Supreme Court will now decide whether to open a case against Bolsonaro, who denies the charges, calling them "persecution." Prosecutors based their findings on an 800-page police report following a two-year investigation.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
