Jailhouse Shock: Brazil's Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro Faces Life in Prison

He fought the law and the law prevailed.

Two months subsequent to receiving a quarter-century plus sentence for trying to “eradicate” Brazil’s democratic institutions, former president Jair Bolsonaro finally seems headed to prison.

Imminent Incarceration

The adjudicated coup-monger – who has been living under house arrest in his mansion while a set of legal procedures and appeals proceed – is widely expected to be imprisoned in the next few days, during mounting speculation that he will be transferred to a well-known top-security facility.

Previous Remarks on Convicts

During Bolsonaro’s long public life, the far-right ex- paratrooper exhibited little sympathy for the country's prison population.

“What’s the need to offer those scoundrels a easy time?” he previously wondered. “They ought to simply be messed, full-fucking-stop. That's my view.”

On another occasion, Bolsonaro declared: “Should you not wish to end up in prison, all you have to do is to avoid sexual assault, abduction or rob.”

Prison Location Discussion

However the prospect of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda top-security prison in Brasília has horrified backers, four of whom this week inspected the complex in an seeming effort to discourage the supreme court from banishing him there.

Senator Lucas, a politician from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was among that group, said he anticipated the elderly leader to be incarcerated in the next 10 days and worried his destination could be Papuda.

The senator argued Bolsonaro’s severe digestive issues – the result of a near-fatal assault during the 2018 presidential campaign – meant it would be hazardous to keep the former president there. “His condition is extremely serious. He cannot to manage if they send him to Papuda … It will be dreadful,” he commented, who also voiced anxiety about packed cells and the condition of prison meals.

During his tour Papuda, Lucas noted witnessing cells accommodating 40 detainees: “It's almost one square meter per detainee.

“We talked to the inmates and they complain, naturally, of the awful meals,” remarked the senator.

Backers Voice Concerns

The senator isn't the only voice speaking out before the ex-leader's expected detention.

Penning in a major daily, a different supporter, the former communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “brutal” finale to Bolsonaro’s “spotless” public service and claimed Brazil was about to see “the biggest political injustice in its past”.

“This is an injustice that eats away the hearts of millions people in Brazil,” Wajngarten wrote.

Mixed General Response

That may be true given the considerable following Bolsonaro retains on the right-wing. However his expected jailing has also warmed the feelings of millions other people who feel he should be imprisoned for plotting to stop the elected leader from assuming office – and also plotting to have him murdered.

Congressman Otoni, a congressman for the current administration's allied group, commented: “No one wishes Bolsonaro to be placed in a hole. Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be put in segregation. Nobody wishes Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We want him to receive proper treatment – but respectful care in prison. He can’t continue being his self-appointed guard for his lifetime.”

He observed how Bolsonaro allies, who have for a long time celebrating the harsh conditions of inmates, had abruptly become aware to their rights. “Just now has the extreme right – which has always argued that civil liberties should not be for lawbreakers – opted to inspect a prison to learn what circumstances are truly like,” he said.

“The former president is a lawbreaker,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he earned “shameful, demeaning handling”.

Possible Prison Facilities

Regardless of rumors that Bolsonaro could be transferred to Papuda, which now holds about 14,000 inmates, his more likely destination seems to be a close prison for officers and other “particular” detainees called Papudinha (Small Papuda).

His potential cell are considerably more pleasant than those in the primary facility, although nonetheless a far cry from the opulence Bolsonaro had while occupying the spectacular leader's home, about a short distance away.

Based on sources, the room Bolsonaro could expect to occupy in Papudinha measures about 24 square meters – about the size of a couple of car spots – and features a 12 sq metre bathroom with a bathing area and a 12 sq metre balcony. “He could be authorized to have a set and also a small fridge in his room as long as they were supplied by his relatives,” sources suggested.

Political Comments

The lawmaker condemned the speculated proposal to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “a form of revenge” on the part of the judicial authority who presided over Bolsonaro’s legal case and will determine his outcome in the {

Michael Valenzuela
Michael Valenzuela

Elara Vance is a software engineer and tech journalist passionate about open source ecosystems and developer advocacy.

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