Brazil: Bolsonaro planned to flee to Argentina and seek political asylum from Milei

This announcement comes as Bolsonaro’s trial on the coup charge enters the verdict phase.

The former president is accused of conspiring to carry out a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 presidential election to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing and claims the trial is part of a politically motivated attack.

Prosecutor Paulo Guedes pointed to evidence that Bolsonaro summoned senior cabinet and military officials after the October 2022 elections to discuss issuing an emergency decree aimed at halting the election results by suspending the electoral court’s powers and investigating allegations of vote fraud.

Guedes explained: “It does not require extraordinary mental effort to realize that when the president and the defense minister summon the military leadership to present a document that formalizes a coup, the criminal process has already begun.”

The Supreme Court has scheduled five-day sessions until September 12 to decide whether Bolsonaro is guilty of trying to overturn the election results he narrowly lost.

At the start of the trial, Judge Alexandre de Moraes said: “History teaches us that impunity, negligence, and cowardice are not options for achieving peace.”

Bolsonaro faces charges of attempting to organize a coup, engaging in an armed criminal organization, trying to abolish the democratic system by violence, as well as two charges related to damaging state property. He could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted of the coup charge alone.