Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has dismissed charges against him as part of an authoritarian plot, following accusations related to an alleged coup attempt to overturn the 2022 election results.

Mr Bolsonaro took to X on Wednesday, stating, “The trick of accusing democratic opposition leaders of plotting coups is nothing new.”

His remarks came after Brazil’s attorney general’s office filed charges against him and 33 others, which must be formally accepted by the Supreme Court.

The charges include allegations of involvement in an attempted coup d’état, participation in an armed criminal organisation, and the violent abolition of the rule of law.

Mr Bolsonaro has repeatedly rejected the accusations.

He compared the situation to that of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Cuba, where opposition members were similarly accused of plotting coups.

Mr Bolsonaro claimed the accusations were part of a familiar “playbook” aimed at persecuting opponents and consolidating power.

Earlier reports in November 2022 suggested that Mr Bolsonaro directly participated in the coup plot and was aware of plans to harm his political rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

On January 8, 2023, Mr Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília to protest Mr Lula’s election victory.

Mr Lula, commenting on the charges, told journalists that individuals were presumed innocent until proven guilty, adding that those found guilty should face the consequences.

(dpa/NAN)