Brazilians hail strength of democracy as Bolsonaro is called to account

<p>‘In Brazil coup-mongers go to jail. In the US they get back into the White House,’ says one leading politician</p><p>Brazilian democrats have celebrated the strength of their country’s judiciary and institutions after the former president <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/jair-bolsonaro">Jair Bolsonaro</a> was left <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/19/jair-bolsonaro-charged-alleged-brazil-coup">facing political oblivion and jail time</a> for allegedly plotting a coup, in stark contrast to the US’s failure to bring Donald Trump to justice for his anti-democratic acts.</p><p>“In Brazil coup-mongers go to jail. In the US they get back into the White House,” said Marcelo Freixo, a leading leftwing politician on Wednesday after the attorney general formally accused Bolsonaro of engineering a sprawling conspiracy to cling to power following his defeat in the 2022 election.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/19/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-coup">Continue reading...</a>