Brazil: Ex-defense minister held for meddling in coup probe

9 hours ago

Walter Braga Netto is accused of being the prime mover behind a plot to stop Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office as president. The retired general was populist Jair Bolsonaro's running mate in the 2022 election.




Brazil's former defense minister Walter Braga Netto was arrested Saturday, as part of ongoing investigations into a suspected coup plot around the October 2022 presidential election.

Braga Netto served under the former president Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist who faced a tight race against leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and ultimately failed to win a second term.

After Bolsonaro had refused to recognize Lula's election win, his supporters blocked roads and stormed Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court in Brasília on January 8, 2023, causing considerable damage.

Braga Netto, a retired general, was accused by federal police in November of plotting the coup d'etat to overturn the election results and prevent Lula's inauguration. He is accused of obstructing efforts by investigators to collect evidence in the case, the news agency Agencia Brasil reported, citing the federal police.

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https://www.dw.com/en/brazil-ex-defense-minister-held-for-meddling-in-coup-probe/a-71059206