At Brazil’s Supreme Court, Lt. Col. Mauro Cid testified against his onetime ally, former Defense Minister Gen. Walter Braga Netto. Cid testified that Braga Netto took part in a meeting in November 2022 during which military officials discussed plans to stop current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office.
The officers are standing trial alongside Bolsonaro, several other officers, and a few civilians. They face five charges including attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage, and degredation of listed heritage. A verdict is expected by the end of 2025.
Analysts said that the two men’s appearance in a civilian court marked a historic departure from the impunity senior military officers have enjoyed since the country underwent two decades of military rule. No one in Brazil has been sent to jail on charges related to the 1964-1985 military dictatorship, unlike in neighboring countries Argentina and Chile. And Bolsonaro, despite facing a tangle of serious legal charges, remains the face of the country’s opposition to President Lula. Since the beginning of the proceedings, members of the military establishment have claimed the Supreme Court trial is an embarrassment to the armed forces.
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