Investigative Breakthrough: Brazilian Police Arrest Bolsonaro's Close Ally

Brazilian police have detained General Walter Braga Netto, former President Jair Bolsonaro's running mate, amid an investigation tying Bolsonaro to plots aimed at undermining democracy and maintaining power after the 2022 election.

Brazilian police took significant action on Saturday by arresting General Walter Braga Netto, a close ally of former President Jair Bolsonaro, for alleged involvement in efforts to interfere with an ongoing investigation into a plot to stage a coup after Bolsonaro’s electoral defeat. The police confirmed that the arrest was part of broader efforts to uphold the integrity of the evidence in the case.

Braga Netto, who served as Bolsonaro's chief of staff and defense minister, is now at the center of a probe that increasingly implicates the former president himself. In November, federal police requested prosecutors charge Bolsonaro, Braga Netto, and many others—including key members of Bolsonaro’s circle—for serious offenses involving the attempted violent dismantling of democracy, coup plots, and criminal organization.

The investigation, which spans over the past two years, reveals a complex scheme allegedly orchestrated by Bolsonaro aimed at undermining the electoral process after losing the presidency. Accusations suggest a multifaceted approach, including casting doubt on the election's credibility, attempting to draft decrees to overturn the results, pressuring military leaders, and inciting protests in the capital against the government.

Notably, the police assert that the plan included disturbing details such as a scheme to poison the incoming President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shortly before his inauguration. An extensive police report, consisting of 884 pages delivered to prosecutors last month, claims that Bolsonaro was fully aware of these conspiratorial intentions.

Despite the gravity of the charges, Bolsonaro has consistently denied any involvement or wrongdoing, framing the investigation as a politically motivated attack against him. Legal representation for General Braga Netto has yet to respond to requests for comments, but it has previously dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated, asserting that there was neither a coup nor an assassination plan envisioned by the general, who aims to uphold constitutional order.