On October 18, 2023, the CPMI approved the commission’s final report, calling for the indictment of 61 people, including former president Jair Bolsonaro. The report was forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Police, the Federal Supreme Court, the Superior Electoral Court (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral or TSE, for its acronym in Portuguese) and the Federal Government Compliance Office (Controladoria Geral da União or CGU, for its acronym in Portuguese), in each case to deepen investigations and determine responsibilities.
On October 25, 2023, the Federal Police began the 19th phase of investigation “Lesa Pátria” (or “crimes against the State”). This investigation seeks to identify the persons who participated in, financed, or in any way encouraged actions that culminated in the plundering of the National Congress, the Planalto presidential palace and the Federal Supreme Court buildings on January 8, 2023. The persons suspected of these acts could be charged with crimes, such as attempting a coup d’etat, qualified damage to property (dano qualificado), criminal association, and criminal incitement.
Other Investigations
On August 11, 2023, the Federal Police launched Operation Lucas 12:2, an investigation into alleged incidents of criminal embezzlement and money laundering. The individuals under investigation are suspected of using their positions to illegally sell goods abroad, which had been delivered by foreign authorities to representatives of the Brazilian Government in their official capacities. As part of the investigation, on August 18, 2023, STF judge Alexandre de Moraes authorized access to banking and other confidential information of former president Jair Bolsonaro and his wife Michele Bolsonaro.
On September 9, 2023, STF judge Alexandre de Moraes approved the plea agreement of Mauro Cid, former assistant to former President Jair Bolsonaro, who had been under arrest since May 3, 2023, for an alleged criminal association to falsify official COVID-19 immunization records. He has also been investigated for involvement in a scheme of illegally selling goods abroad.
Cabinet Changes
On April 19, 2023, Gonçalves Dias, head of the Institutional Security Bureau (Gabinete de Segurança Institucional or GSI, for its acronym in Portuguese), resigned after footage of him in the presidential palace during the January 8, 2023 riot leaked. On May 4, 2023, Marcos Antonio Amaro dos Santos took office as the new head of the GSI.
On July 14, 2023, Celso Sabino took office as Tourism Minister, replacing former Minister Daniela Carneiro.
On September 13, 2023, Márcio França, former Ports and Airports Minister, took office as Minister of the newly created Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise and Small Business. Silvio Costa Filho replaced Márcio França as Ports and Airports Minister, and André Fufuca took office as Sports Minister, replacing former Minister Ana Moser.
2022 Federal and State Elections
On June 30, 2023, former president Jair Bolsonaro was deemed ineligible to hold office for eight years by the Superior Electoral Court. The former president was convicted for abuse of political power and misuse of media for holding, and broadcasting by government media, a meeting with foreign ambassadors on July 18, 2022, in which he made allegations raising suspicions about the reliability of the vote-counting process. On October 11, 2023, STF judge Dias Toffoli rejected two appeals presented by former president Jair Bolsonaro and the Liberal Party (Partido Liberal or PL, for its acronym in Portuguese) against the R$20,000 fine imposed by the TSE as a result of this conviction.
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