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Chaos in Brazil's Congress as Bolsonaro allies push sentence reduction
Brazil's parliament descended into disorder on Tuesday as conservative legislators advanced a proposal to cut the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro, sparking physical confrontations and a police intervention.
Lawmaker forcibly removed amid protests
Left-wing deputy Glauber Braga was dragged out by security forces after briefly seizing the Speaker's chair in protest. Footage showed scuffles erupting as officers attempted to restore order. The chamber's live broadcast was abruptly halted, and journalists were escorted out-a move condemned by press associations as censorship.
Braga later told reporters he refused to accept "an amnesty for coup plotters," according to AFP.
Proposal targets coup-related convictions
The controversial bill, backed by Bolsonaro's allies, aims to overhaul sentencing for elected officials convicted of coup-related offenses. If passed, it would reduce Bolsonaro's 27-year term-imposed last November for plotting to overturn his 2022 election loss-to just two years and four months, a lawmaker involved in the effort told AFP.
The measure would also free dozens of Bolsonaro supporters jailed for storming government buildings in Brasília in January 2023.
Bolsonaro seeks medical release from prison
Separately, court filings revealed his legal team has requested permission for the former president to leave prison for surgery. The appeal reiterates a plea for house arrest, citing his recent hospitalization after intestinal surgery and a 2018 stabbing during a campaign rally.
Political divisions deepen
Bolsonaro, a right-wing firebrand defeated by leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022, remains a polarizing figure. His Liberal Party holds the largest bloc in Congress, where conservative factions outnumber Lula's allies.
Previous attempts to secure amnesty for Bolsonaro collapsed amid mass protests, but the current proposal-framed as a sentencing reform-has gained traction as a compromise.
Supreme Court rulings and fallout
In September, Brazil's top court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years for conspiring with military leaders to stage a coup and allegedly plotting to assassinate Lula. While no coup materialized, his supporters' violent storming of government buildings in 2023 led to thousands of arrests.
Senior military officials, including two ex-defense ministers and a former intelligence chief, were also convicted in the investigation, which Bolsonaro's camp has dismissed as a "witch hunt."
Next steps
As of late Tuesday, the bill had not advanced to the legislature's second chamber for approval. Lawmakers loyal to Bolsonaro have signaled the proposal may face further revisions before a vote.
