Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro
leads a demonstration this Sunday
to reject coup suspicions against him and in the process test his strength as opposition leader against the leftist Lula.
The far-right gathered his followers on the emblematic Avenida Paulista in San Pablo.
His supporters hope to gather at least 500,000 people.
It will be
"a peaceful demonstration in defense of the democratic rule of law
," Bolsonaro assures in several videos published on social networks to mobilize his followers.
The march in San Pablo in favor of Bolsonaro.
Reuters Photo
The former president said he intends to defend himself against "all accusations" against him, including suspicions of having participated in a coup d'état plan to remain in power, after his electoral defeat against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October 2022.
The police launched Operation Tempus Veritatis
(the hour of truth, in Latin) on February 8, against Bolsonaro and several of his close allies, including some of his former ministers.
There were raids, arrests and the former president was prohibited from leaving Brazil.
According to the investigation, the suspects planned to discredit the electronic voting system before the elections, and
then prepared a coup d'état
- which did not take place - against the new Lula government.
Bolsonaro
calls himself the victim of "persecution"
and on Thursday remained silent when questioned by the police.
In the polls, Bolsonaro remains the leader of the opposition, although he cannot stand in any election,
having been disqualified until 2030
precisely for criticizing electronic ballot boxes without evidence.
The governor of the State of Sao Paulo and former Bolsonaro minister, Tarcisio de Freitas, as well as the mayor of the megalopolis, Ricardo Nunes, are expected to participate in the march.
One of Bolsonaro's lawyers, Fabio Wajngarten, indicated on Thursday that
he expected between "500,000 and 700,000" protesters,
as well as more than a hundred deputies.
"On the 25th, I'm going. For Brazil. It will be huge!" wrote Bolsonaro federal deputy Bia Kicis in X.
"
If there is great support, (Bolsonaro) will be able to say that the people are with him
," André Rosa, a political scientist at the University of Brasilia, told AFP.
Otherwise, he will lose "legitimacy," he adds.
The demonstration was also promoted by Pastor Silas Malafaia,
one of the most influential figures among Brazil's millions of evangelicals
, a key constituency for Bolsonaro and the conservative opposition.
The former president asked his followers to march in green and yellow - the colors of the Brazilian flag that he sought to appropriate during his mandate - but not to carry banners or flags.
He also requested that there be no demonstrations in other cities in the country.
During his mandate,
Bolsonaro's actions were full of slogans against Brazilian institutions
, especially the Supreme Federal Court and its judge Alexandre de Moraes.
In addition to being in charge of several investigations against Bolsonaro and his entourage, this magistrate authorized the police operation "Tempus Veritatis."
The accusations
Since leaving power,
the far-right has been inundated with investigations.
Last year, he appeared before investigators
on suspicion of having instigated the riot in Brasilia
by his followers, days after Lula took power.
He was also summoned by the police for the alleged
irregular entry into Brazil of jewelry
that was given to him by Saudi Arabia and for the falsification of anti-covid vaccination certificates.
On Paulista Avenue, Israeli flags could also wave among conservative followers who called on social networks to support the Jewish State, after Lula's controversial statements in which he compared the military campaign in Gaza with the Holocaust.
Source: AFP and AP
P.B.