Ex-Brazil president Bolsonaro holds massive rally, says election ban amounts to ‘denial of democracy’

Former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro has said that a ban on him running for elections next year amounts to a “denial of democracy.” Addressing a protest rally in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday (March 16), the embattled leader called for amnesty for hundreds convicted over the January 8, 2023 riots in Brasilia, when supporters of Bolsonaro stormed the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court.

Bolsonaro was later accused of backing an attempted coup and now he is barred from seeking re-election until 2030.

Bolsonaro hoping to pull off a Trump

The 69-year-old leader now wants to emulate US President Donald Trump by staging a similar political comeback. Like Bolsonaro, Trump too faced several legal challenges in his race for the top office.

“I want to tell all those who don’t like me in Brasilia (Brazil’s capital): elections without Bolsonaro is a denial of democracy in Brazil,” Bolsonaro said at the rally.

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His supporters buy this narrative, who accuse the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of trying to “throw him in prison”.

“They are trying to throw him in prison, in a cowardly fashion, so he can’t be elected, but they won’t succeed,” Patricia Santos, a 41-year-old attending the rally, was quoted as saying by the AFP.

Jose de Souza Vitorino, another supporter of Bolsonaro and a former military officer, said he joined the rally because he wanted “to leave a better Brazil for my children.”

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January 8 riots

Major riots broke out in Brasilia in 2023 when it became clear that far-right leader Bolsonaro was defeated by Lula da Silva in the presidential elections.

Rioters, who stormed several government buildings, demanded military to oust Lula, who had been sworn in just a few days earlier.

Bolsonaro was in the United States during the Brasília riots, but prosecutors suspect he was involved in a coup plot approved by the former army captain.

On March 25, Brazil’s Supreme Court will decide whether there is enough evidence to put him on trial. If convicted, he could face over 40 years in prison.

Like Trump, Bolsonaro insists he is a victim of politically motivated legal persecution. Both leaders have also survived assassination attempts during their campaigns.

(With inputs from agencies)