Brazil's Chamber of Deputies approved a bill early Wednesday morning aimed at reducing prison sentences for coup plotters , including former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro , who was sentenced to 27 years in prison last September.
The bill , which must now go to the Senate for discussion and eventual approval , was endorsed by 291 votes in favor, 148 against and one abstention.
The legislation proposes that the sentences for two of the crimes for which the former president was convicted (2019-2022), namely the attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law and the coup d'état, should not be combined.
If finally approved, only the more severe of the two penalties would be applied, in this case the one for coup d'état , which provides for up to 12 years in prison and which would not be added to the penalty for attempted violent abolition, which establishes up to eight years in prison.
The law proposes reducing the penalty from one-third to two-thirds when coup-related crimes are committed as part of a "mob ," as happened in the assault by hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters on the headquarters of the Executive, Congress and the Supreme Court in Brasilia, the country's capital, on January 8, 2023.
According to Congressman Paulo Pereira da Silva, who introduced the bill, Bolsonaro could leave the regime closed in just over two years .
The legislator argued that the measure seeks "reconciliation" and wishes to "correct the excesses" in the sentences imposed by the Supreme Court, but "without avoiding accountability."
The leader of the deputies of the ruling Workers' Party (PT), Lindbergh Farias, rejected the bill and argued that "this chamber is embracing a coup."
Will it pass the Senate? Is Brazil on the brink of re-embracing fascism or revo?
We don't know yet. A couple weeks ago there was a similar move that passed a constitutional amendment (PEC) of effectively complete judicial immunity for parlamentarians, but it immediately triggered protests with hundreds of thousands on the streets nationwide. After that the PEC was unanimously rejected by a Senate commission before even going to the vote. It was a massive win for the left.
We just had really great spontaneous protests against violence against women ("feminicídio" in Portuguese) last Sunday again, and there's plans for other protests this next Sunday. It's possible that the same method will work again, but we won't know until next week.
But regarding fascism or revolution, I think neither are a full option. This looks like the last gasp of the desperate Bolsonaro faction, and revolutionary forces are still too weak to play anything but defence right now. I think the only faction coming out of this on top is the institutional centrist Lula administration.
I'll try to keep people updated with English sources.
Thanks so much. I really wish the best possible outcome for my Brazilian siblings! Best to you and hope you can stay safe.