Supporters of Brazil's ex-President Jair Bolsonaro hold mass protest in Sao Paulo

Former president Jair Bolsonaro said Sunday he was prepared to “change Brazil’s destiny” as he addressed thousands of supporters in Sao Paulo, even while facing decades in prison for allegedly attempting a coup.

The divisive far-right figure called for the demonstration on a major thoroughfare of South America’s largest metropolis, seeking “justice” as he battles the charges.

“Those who accuse me may have many trump cards up their sleeves, but I have three things on my side that they don’t have: God, freedom and the support of a large part of the Brazilian population,” Bolsonaro told the crowd, many of whom were clad in the green-and-yellow of the Brazilian flag.

The former president has called for several demonstrations since the start of the legal proceedings against him, and attendance has dwindled in recent months.

The University of Sao Paulo estimated about 12,400 people took part in Sunday’s gathering on Paulista Avenue, a sharp drop from the 45,000 who took part in April and the 185,000 estimated to have marched for Bolsonaro in February.

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The former army captain dreams of emulating Donald Trump’s return to the White House, despite being banned from holding public office until 2030 over his attacks on Brazil’s electronic voting system.

Bolsonaro nevertheless spoke of next year’s general elections, placing particular emphasis on the legislative ones.

“Give me 50 percent of the deputies and senators, and I’ll change Brazil’s destiny,” boomed Bolsonaro, wearing a blue tracksuit as he addressed cheering supporters.

Unlike on previous occasions, the 70-year-old did not explicitly present himself as the conservative camp’s candidate for the 2026 presidential elections.

“I’m not obsessed with power, I’m in love with my country,” he said.

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“I don’t need to be the president,” he added. “If I remain honorary president of my party, we can do what you want.”

‘Whatever he wants’

The demonstration follows a hectic several weeks for the embattled ex-leader.

During a key phase in his Supreme Court trial earlier this month, he denied involvement in an alleged coup plot to wrest back power after leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly beat him at the ballot box in October 2022.

The prosecutor’s office said the plot, which envisaged the assassination of Lula and other authorities, failed to materialize due to lack of support from the senior military command.

Bolsonaro has rejected any wrongdoing, and he did so again Sunday, claiming the cases are politically motivated to prevent him from making a comeback in the 2026 elections.

“They did the same thing with me as with Marine Le Pen,” he told AFP, referring to the French far-right leader who was convicted of embezzlement in March and barred from running in elections for five years.

On Sunday, Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, tipped as a potential candidate to represent the conservatives in the 2026 presidential election, offered full-throated support for Bolsonaro, calling him “the greatest leader in the history” of the country.

President Lula – whose popularity remains low – has yet to announce whether or not he will run for another term.

Valdemar Costa Neto, president of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL), said it was time the party beefed up its political ground game.

“Bolsonaro must be present at this type of demonstration to show the judiciary that the people are with him,” the leader said.

“As long as he’s honorary president of the PL, we’ll do whatever he wants, because the votes belong to him.”

Some bystanders were unimpressed by the pro-Bolsonaro protest.

“This guy, who wanted to blow up Brasilia and kill his political opponent, should go to prison,” said Dionisio Teixeira, a record seller on Paulista Avenue, which on Sundays is transformed into a pedestrian zone.

“I don’t know how people can still come here to defend him.”

On January 8, 2023, thousands of Bolsonarists took over power centers in the Brazilian capital and demanded a military intervention to oust Lula from power one week after his inauguration.