A panel of judges unanimously voted on Friday to declare former Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, ineligible to run for office again. This decision stems from the finding that Bolsonaro had abused his power and spread baseless doubts regarding the country’s electronic voting system. As a result, Bolsonaro will be barred from running until 2030, effectively ending any prospects of his political comeback. Five out of the seven judges on the highest electoral court concurred that Bolsonaro had misused his authority by utilizing government communication channels to promote his campaign and undermine trust in the voting process. Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, stated, “This decision will eliminate Bolsonaro’s chances of becoming president once again, and he is well aware of it.”
The case revolved around a gathering on July 18th, where Bolsonaro leveraged government personnel, the state-owned television channel, and the presidential palace in Brasilia, to inform foreign ambassadors that the electronic voting system in Brazil was fraudulent. Marlon Reis, an expert in electoral law who contributed to drafting the provisions regarding ineligibility, explained, “Bolsonaro abused his presidential powers by calling this meeting, employed government resources and facilities for electoral purposes, and blurred the line between national interests and his campaign.”
Bolsonaro retains the right to appeal to the Supreme Court. Additionally, he confronts other legal issues, such as ongoing criminal investigations. Bolsonaro displayed defiance when speaking to reporters in Brasilia on Thursday, exclaiming, “This is an injustice against me! Show me concrete evidence of any actions I have taken against democracy. Perhaps my wrongdoing was doing the right things for four years.” Despite acknowledging the slim chances of success in an interview earlier this week, the ruling will not only exclude him from the upcoming municipal elections in 2024 and 2028 but also from the general elections in 2026. Potential future criminal convictions could further extend his ban and subject him to imprisonment. (Read more Jair Bolsonaro stories.)
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