BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Some Brazilian historians now count 14 coup attempts in the republic’s 136 years. Some have been successful, including the one that installed a military dictatorship between 1964-1985.
But only the latest, which a Supreme Court panel ruled was orchestrated by former President Jair Bolsonaro, ended with prison sentences for its leaders, instigators and supporters, many of whom are already behind bars.
To a large extent, the unprecedented outcome is the result of one man’s drive.
Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, the judge who spearheaded the case, has become a hero to some Brazilians and a zealot to others.
In Brazil he is better known as “Xandão,” or “Big Alex” in Portuguese. Married with three children, he is widely known for his shiny bald head and us