Brazil’s congress fast-tracks amnesty bill that could benefit Bolsonaro
Brazil’s lower house has approved an urgent procedure to debate an amnesty bill for those who stormed government buildings in January 2023. Lawmakers are considering expanding the measure to cover former president Jair Bolsonaro himself, who was sentenced last week to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup.
The Chamber of Deputies voted by a wide margin—311 in favor, 163 against, and 7 abstentions—to move the bill straight to the floor, bypassing committee review. The decision came just hours after Bolsonaro’s doctors revealed he has been diagnosed with early-stage skin cancer. More than 600 people have already been sentenced for their role in the January 8 riots, but the bill’s rapporteur could modify the text to extend clemency to other coup-related convictions.
House Speaker Hugo Motta defended the move, saying the goal is to “seek national pacification and respect for institutions”. A rapporteur is expected to be appointed on Thursday to shape the final draft. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, however, vowed to veto the proposal if it passes Congress, warning in an interview with BBC News: “If they send it to me, I will veto it”.
Bolsonaro, remains under house arrest as he appeals his conviction for coup plotting, criminal conspiracy, and attacks on democratic institutions. He was briefly hospitalized this week with anemia and kidney complications but discharged after treatment. The amnesty debate now adds another layer of political tension to Brazil’s already polarized landscape, testing whether Congress will shield a former president convicted of undermining democracy.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
