Brazil’s far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro will learn soon whether he is headed to prison as his trial on attempted coup charges enters the final stretch despite pressure from his US ally, President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Brazil’s Supreme Court will start passing judgement after weeks of hearings that saw witnesses testify about Bolsonaro’s alleged involvement in a plot to claw back power after a 2022 election defeat to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The 70-year-old Bolsonaro risks about 40 years in prison, and a guilty verdict will likely end any hopes he had of making a political comeback.
In deeply divided Brazil, the case elicits strong opinions: some hailing it as a defense of democratic norms while others denounce a political show trial.
It has also caused a