BRASILIA: The political future of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro is in limbo as a trial starts in which he is accused of spreading distrust in the country’s electoral system.
The trial, which began in the capital of Brasilia on Thursday, could result in Bolsonaro being barred from holding public office for 8 years if he is found guilty.
The prosecutors are presenting evidence that Bolsonaro broadcast a meeting “in the middle of a campaign” to question the legitimacy of the election. “It was broadcasted on national television. It went on all social media: Thousands of people heard that he was actually stating that the system — the voting system — could be rigged, the election results could be fraud,” Yanakiew explained live from Brasilia.The outcome of the trial could have a sizable impact on Brazilian politics by making the country’s best-known conservative politician ineligible for reelection.
