Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro is facing a major setback as election officials are expected to bar him from seeking public office for the next eight years. The majority of judges in Brazil’s electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro violated Brazil’s election laws when he made baseless claims about the nation’s voting systems being rigged. This ruling would remove him as a top contender in the next presidential contest and deal a significant blow to the country’s far-right movement.
By convening a meeting with diplomats less than three months before last year’s vote, Bolsonaro abused his power as president, according to four of the court’s seven judges. One other judge voted that Bolsonaro had not abused his power, while two others had yet to vote. The decision is expected to be finalized later today.
If the ruling stands, Bolsonaro will not be able to run for president until 2030 when he will be 75 years old. However, Bolsonaro is expected to appeal the decision to Brazil’s Supreme Court, although the court has previously acted to limit his power during his presidency. He has frequently attacked the court and its justices, accusing them of trying to sway the vote against him.
In addition to the electoral court ruling, Bolsonaro also faces 15 other cases in the court, including accusations of improperly using public funds to influence the vote and running a coordinated misinformation campaign. He is also linked to criminal investigations related to inciting the Jan. 8 raid on Brazil’s halls of power and falsifying vaccine records.
Despite his legal challenges, Bolsonaro’s influence on Brazil’s conservative movement has been significant. Now, conservative leaders are already looking to move on from the former president, with right-wing governor Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas being touted as a potential challenger to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2026 election.
The ruling against Bolsonaro represents a significant moment in Brazilian politics, as he had played a key role in shifting the country’s conservative movement to the right. His presidency was marked by controversy, including a rise in deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, a mishandling of the pandemic resulting in a high death toll, and attacks on the press, judiciary, and political left.
The ruling against Bolsonaro’s alleged abuses of power echoes former U.S. President Donald Trump’s denials of the 2020 election results and the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. While Bolsonaro faces potential exclusion from the next presidential race, Trump remains a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination and could still run despite facing various criminal charges.
Overall, this ruling would have a significant impact on Brazilian politics, removing Bolsonaro as a key player and potentially reshaping the country’s political landscape.