MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
This week, Brazil witnessed the dramatic fall of Jair Bolsonaro, the so-called Trump of the Tropics. The former president was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup. So is this the final chapter of his political career? Julia Carneiro reports from Rio.
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UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting in non-English language).
JULIA CARNEIRO: This was the scene at a campaign rally seven years ago.
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CARNEIRO: Jair Bolsonaro, hoisted on a supporter's shoulders, waving to the crowd. Once an obscure political maverick, the former army captain and seven-term congressman had little national relevance until he became a symbol for a frustrated electorate.
CELSO ROCHA DE BARROS: He became famous for being outrageous - you know, supporting torture and supporting killing his opponents.
CARNEIRO: That sociologist Celso Rocha de Barros, a political columnist and podcaster. By the 2010s, Brazil was rocked by corruption scandals and recession, and Bolsonaro rode the wave of anger against the political establishment.
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JAIR BOLSONARO: (Non-English language spoken).
CARNEIRO: Bolsonaro ignited a patriotic, anti-leftist movement. He survived an assassination attempt, and in 2019, was sworn in as president in Brasilia. Anthony Pereira is the executive director of the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University.
ANTHONY PEREIRA: He was much more effective, in my view, as a movement leader than he was as a president.
CARNEIRO: Bolsonaro championed gun rights, conservative family values, attacked women and LGBTQ people and flaunted unfiltered bravado online, earning the nickname Trump of the Tropics. He spread disinformation during the pandemic and cast doubt on Brazil's electoral system, which made him increasingly unpopular, paving the way for the comeback of his leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Bolsonaro's defeat in the 2022 election.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).
CARNEIRO: Then came January 8, 2023, and in scenes reminiscent of the storming of the U.S. Capitol in 2021, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters draped in Brazil's flag stormed the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court just days after Lula's inauguration, smashing property while calling themselves patriots.
This week, the Supreme Court ruled these riots were the climax of a coup attempt masterminded by Bolsonaro, finding him guilty of attempting to overthrow the government, leading a criminal organization and undermining the rule of law. Bolsonaro's defense called the sentence excessive and is considering appeals. Yet with the 2026 elections approaching, his support could still have an impact on the vote.
UNIDENTIFIED BOLSONARO SUPPORTERS: (Chanting in Portuguese).
CARNEIRO: Even before the trial concluded, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters took to the streets demanding amnesty. In Sao Paulo, they waved U.S. and Brazilian flags, thanking Trump for backing Bolsonaro.
UNIDENTIFIED BOLSONARO SUPPORTERS: (Chanting in Portuguese).
CARNEIRO: For now, the political career of Bolsonaro is most likely over, but his presence still haunts Brazil's democracy.
For NPR News, I'm Julia Carneiro. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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