Prison Surprise: Brazil's FormerPresident Bolsonaro Faces Time Behind Bars
He battled the legal system and justice triumphed.
Sixty days following receiving a twenty-seven-year sentence for seeking to “destroy” Brazil’s democratic institutions, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro at last seems destined for incarceration.
Expected Imprisonment
The adjudicated coup-monger – who had been living under house arrest in his residence while a set of judicial steps and appeals proceed – is widely expected to be incarcerated in the near future, during mounting talk that he will be sent to a well-known high-security facility.
Past Comments on Convicts
During Bolsonaro’s long time in politics, the conservative ex- military man displayed scant compassion for Brazil’s inmates.
“Why should we provide those scoundrels a comfortable existence?” he once mused. “They ought to simply be fucked, period. That's my view.”
On another occasion, Bolsonaro stated: “Should you not wish to end up behind bars, you simply need is not sexual assault, abduction or rob.”
Incarceration Location Speculation
However the prospect of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda maximum security prison in Brasília has appalled allies, a group of four this week visited the facility in an apparent attempt to discourage the judiciary from sending him there.
Senator Lucas, a politician from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was among that group, said he expected the 70-year-old leader to be imprisoned in the next 10 days and worried his destination could be Papuda.
Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s severe intestinal ailments – the result of a life-threatening assault during the last political campaign – implied it would be dangerous to keep the former president there. “His condition is very grave. He cannot to handle it if they move him to Papuda … It would be terrible,” he added, who also expressed concern about cramped cells and the quality of prison meals.
While visiting Papuda, Lucas noted seeing cells accommodating four dozen prisoners: “It's practically one meter squared per inmate.
“We spoke to the convicts and they complain, unsurprisingly, of the awful cuisine,” remarked the senator.
Allies Speak Out
The senator isn't the lone figure speaking out prior to the ex-leader's predicted detention.
Penning in a leading publication, another ally, the ex- government official Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “harsh” finale to Bolsonaro’s “flawless” public service and alleged Brazil was about to witness “the largest political injustice in its history”.
“It represents an injustice that eats away the spirits of countless Brazilian citizens,” the former minister said.
Divided General Opinion
This could be true due to the considerable support Bolsonaro maintains on the Brazilian right. However his expected incarceration has also pleased the feelings of millions other people who believe he should be imprisoned for planning to prevent the elected leader from becoming president – and also plotting to have him killed.
The lawmaker, a politician for the sitting president's political party, stated: “Not a soul wants Bolsonaro to be sent in a dark cell. No one desires Bolsonaro to be placed in isolation. Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to lie on concrete. We want him to receive dignified treatment – but respectful care behind bars. He can’t persist being his self-appointed guard for his lifetime.”
The congressman noted how Bolsonaro allies, who have spent years applauding the tough treatment of inmates, had unexpectedly realized to their privileges. “Only now has the far-right – which has repeatedly claimed that civil liberties are not for lawbreakers – decided to inspect a penitentiary to learn what conditions are actually like,” he said.
“Bolsonaro is a offender,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he deserved “degrading, insulting handling”.
Potential Prison Facilities
Despite speculation that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which now holds about thousands of inmates, his more likely location looks to be a close prison for officers and other “unique” detainees referred to as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).
Its cells are much more pleasant than those in the primary facility, although still a far cry from the luxury Bolsonaro had while residing in the impressive official residence, about 12 miles away.
Based on information, the room Bolsonaro could expect to reside in in Papudinha has about 260 square feet – approximately the size of a couple of car spots – and features a 12 square meter restroom with a shower and a 12 square meter balcony. “He could be authorized to have a set and also a minibar in his room as long as they were provided by his loved ones,” sources stated.
Political Reactions
The lawmaker condemned the speculated idea to send the former leader to Papuda as “an act of retaliation” on the part of the judicial authority who led Bolsonaro’s coup trial and will determine his future in the {