Brazil prosecutor charges ex-President Bolsonaro over alleged coup plot

Brazil’s chief prosecutor has accused former President Jair Bolsonaro of leading an attempted coup after the ex-leader was defeated by his left-wing rival in the 2022 presidential election.

According to the prosecutor, the alleged plot aimed to prevent Bolsonaro’s successor in office, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from taking office and included a plan to poison Lula.

Bolsonaro, 69, denies any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a political witch hunt.

It is now up to Brazil’s Supreme Court to decide whether to accept the prosecutor’s charges and put Bolsonaro and 33 others accused on trial.

In a sign of how divided Brazil remains two-and-a-half years after the bitterly fought presidential election, critics of Bolsonaro celebrated news of the charges, saying that the former president belonged in jail, while his supporters insisted he was innocent.