In Brazil, protests against the possible pardon of ex-President Bolsonaro

Thousands of Brazilians on Sunday protested in all 26 states of the country and the federal district against the possible pardon of former President Jair Bolsonaro and his associates, who were convicted of attempting a coup. This was reported by The Associated Press, writes UNN.

Details

Calls for protests intensified after the lower house of parliament on Tuesday adopted a constitutional amendment that makes it more difficult to arrest or initiate criminal prosecution of deputies. The document must now be considered by the Senate.

The next day, the lower house also voted for an expedited consideration of a bill, supported by right-wing opposition deputies, which could grant amnesty to Bolsonaro, his closest allies, and hundreds of supporters convicted of participating in the riots in January 2023.

In São Paulo, 42,400 people took part in the protest, and in Rio de Janeiro — 41,800, according to estimates by the Monitoring of Political Debates of the University of São Paulo and the non-profit organization More in Common.

Pablo Ortellado, director of the Monitoring of Political Debates, told the publication that such a number of participants in Brazil's two largest cities is the highest for left-wing demonstrations since Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's victory in the 2022 elections. Researchers estimated the number of participants based on drone photos.

Recall

The Supreme Court of Brazil found 70-year-old ex-president Jair Bolsonaro guilty of conspiring to retain power after losing the 2022 elections and sentenced him to 27 years and three months in prison. He was found guilty on five counts, including attempted coup and leading an armed criminal organization.