Bolsonaro Trial, Day 2 of 5: Defense Attacks Evidence, STF Prepares to Vote

The second day of Jair Bolsonaro’s historic Supreme Federal Court (STF) trial was dominated by defense arguments seeking to discredit key evidence and portray the former president as uninvolved in any coup plot.

With all eight defense teams heard, the five justices are set to begin casting their votes next week.

Defense Strategy

Bolsonaro’s lawyer Celso Vilardi told the court that “there is not a single proof” linking the ex-president to an attempted coup.

He argued that prosecutors rely solely on the plea-bargain testimony of Bolsonaro’s former aide Mauro Cid and on draft decrees of questionable origin.

Another lawyer, Paulo Cunha Bueno, claimed the prosecution seeks to punish “the attempt of an attempt” of a coup—something he said does not exist in law.

Generals on trial also sought to distance themselves from Bolsonaro. The defense for Gen. Augusto Heleno dismissed his recorded remarks about “flipping the table before the elections” as rhetorical.

Gen. Paulo Sérgio Nogueira’s lawyer acknowledged “coup currents” existed in government but insisted his client acted to dissuade Bolsonaro.

Justice Cármen Lúcia pressed: “Dissuade from what? Until now everyone says nobody thought of anything…”—a sharp moment highlighting contradictions.

Gen. Walter Braga Netto’s counsel labeled Mauro Cid’s testimony “lying and flawed” and petitioned to annul it entirely. Across the board, defense teams accused Justice Alexandre de Moraes of acting as an “inquisitor” in gathering evidence.

Political and Public Reactions

Bolsonaro remained absent from court. His allies in Congress denounced the trial as “revenge and persecution” and accelerated efforts to pass a general amnesty for those charged over the Jan. 8, 2023 riots.

Opposition leader Luciano Zucco called the case a “sad chapter” and promised Independence Day rallies on Sept. 7 to protest what supporters describe as judicial overreach.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, by contrast, stressed that justice must prevail “with due process and presumption of innocence,” while calling Bolsonaro’s rule a “nefarious period of Brazilian history.”

Outside the court, security was tight. Only small gatherings appeared—supporters praying for Bolsonaro and leftist activists inflating a caricatured “Pixuleco” doll of the ex-president in prison stripes.

Media Divide

Left-leaning outlets described the trial as accountability for an attempted coup, highlighting contradictions in the defense narrative. CartaCapital emphasized Cármen Lúcia’s pointed question, while Brasil de Fato framed Bolsonaro’s strategy as an effort to detach himself from his generals.

Right-leaning media cast doubt on the case, repeatedly calling it a “supposed coup attempt.” Gazeta do Povo stressed the absence of direct evidence, amplified claims that Mauro Cid’s plea was coerced, and gave weight to opposition calls for amnesty.

What Comes Next

The trial pauses until September 9, when Justice Alexandre de Moraes will deliver the first vote. Each of the five justices will then issue their decisions.

A majority of three votes will decide whether Bolsonaro and his allies are convicted. Verdicts are expected by September 12, though sentences may take longer to determine.

If convicted, Bolsonaro could face decades in prison, though appeals would delay enforcement. The outcome will mark a turning point for Brazil’s democracy—either reaffirming accountability at the highest level or inflaming an already polarized nation.

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