Economist report highlighted Bolsonaro’s ‘historical’ condemnation
Jair Bolsonaro’s condemnation of 27 years in prison for coup attempted a cover feature in the world’s leading newspapers and magazines on Friday (12/9).
“Four years ago, Jair Bolsonaro, then president of Brazil, made a promise. In statements to evangelical leaders, the former army captain said his reelection campaign in 2022 could only end up in prison, death or victory. ‘And you can be sure that the first option does not exist,” he was wrong, “writes British magazine The Economist.
“On September 11, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) voted for Bolsonaro’s conviction for coup. A few hours later, the court issued Bolsonaro’s sentence: 27 years and three months in prison.”
Economist says Bolsonaro’s conviction “is historical.”
“Brazil has suffered numerous blows since its independence in 1822. The most recent inaugurated a military dictatorship that ruled from 1964 to 1985 and killed hundreds of people. Bolsonaro is a fierce defender of this regime.”
The magazine said the defense of Bolsonaro and the other defendants in the trial was “technical,” but the evidence against them was “blunt.”
“They accepted the individual actions of which they were accused, but claimed that they were not a blow,” the article said.
But the Economist pointed out that this line of defense did not move the judges – highlighting Alexandre de Moraes’s speech during the trial that Brazil almost returned to a dictatorship.
The magazine states that Luiz Fux’s vote for Bolsonaro’s acquittal was the only opening that the former president had in this trial, with many speculating if this vote would not pave the way for a cancellation of conviction in the future.
But Economist considers this possibility “remote”.
“The severity of the accusations against Bolsonaro and the weight of evidence makes this a remote possibility,” writes the magazine.
‘Divided Public Opinion’
The American newspaper Wall Street Journal pointed out that Bolsonaro’s conviction by Brazilian court “challenges President Trump’s efforts to sabotage a case that electrified the largest country in Latin America and placed Brazil at the center of the US government’s trade war.”
The newspaper reported that the US government thinks of retaliating Brazil because of the decision of the trial.
The Wall Street Journal also evaluates that Bolsonaro could spend the rest of his life in jail because of his age-the former president is 70 and will serve a 27-year sentence. But the American newspaper recalls that there is an effort to approve an amnesty in Congress. In addition, the former president’s health complications could cause his sentence to be reduced in the future.
The newspaper stated that there were celebrations in Brazil after the vote of Minister Cármen Lúcia, who determined the majority for the conviction of Bolsonaro.
“Many Brazilians began to celebrate on Thursday, honking and celebrating in the windows of their buildings, while the authorities were preparing for a negative reaction of the White House.”
The Wall Street Journal states that “public opinion is deeply divided” in Brazil, citing research.
“About 51% of Brazilians agreed with the court’s ruling to put Bolsonaro in house arrest on August 4, while 42% disagreed, according to a recent Datafolha survey. About 46% of Brazilians want impeachment from Moraes, while only 43% support it, according to Quaest survey last month.”
The newspaper talks about how the trial is seen on both sides of political polarization in Brazil.
“For Bolsonaro critics, the trial is a victory for the country’s young democracy and a reckoning with its authoritarian past. It is the proof, they say that the country can hold its leaders responsible, offering an example to the world – and specifically to the US – that no president is above the law,” the report says.
“For Bolsonaro supporters, the case is just a witch hunt to keep it out of power. It still has tens of millions of loyal supporters, including many business leaders, farmers and evangelicals.”
Bolsonaro “waits for miracle” with Trump, says Ny Times
New York Times says Bolsonaro is waiting for a kind of miracle | Reproduction
New York Times said the condemnation “is a milestone for the largest nation in Latin America.”
“In at least 15 blows and attempts at coup with military connections since Brazil overthrew the monarchy in 1889, Thursday marked the first time that the leaders of one of these conspiracies were convicted,” says the New York Times.
“[A sentença de prisão] It can also undertake a definitive blow to one of the most important and influential political figures in Latin America. Bolsonaro galvanized a right -wing movement that turned Brazil into a more polarized nation and, in some ways, conservative – but its condemnation now leaves the right without clear leadership. ”
The newspaper also states that “the decision will probably aggravate the conflict between Brazil and the US.”
“This led Bolsonaro to deposit his faith in a Hail Mary [uma espécie de milagre, no jargão esportivo americano] Coming from abroad: Trump, ”says the newspaper, citing that the US government can put more pressure on Brazil after the conviction.
It is not the end of pockets, says Guardian
Guardian pointed out that condemnation does not mean the end of pockets | Reproduction
The Guardian newspaper states that Bolsonaro’s conviction to prison “in no way means the end of his political movement.”
“The historical verdict-the first time a former Brazilian president is considered guilty of trying to overthrow the country’s democracy-seems to have ended Bolsonaro’s hopes of one day to resume the presidency of South America’s greatest democracy,” writes the British newspaper.
“But experts and politicians from all over the spectrum agree that the former paraquedist’s political movement, pockets, will continue to prosper despite the arrest of its creator.”
The newspaper highlights that Bolsonaro won 58 million votes in the last election – and that he follows popular in various segments of Brazilian society.
“It is unlikely that Bolsonaro will be arrested in the coming weeks. It is unclear whether he will be sent to a common prison or will be arrested in a police or military facility,” says the Guardian.
The British newspaper says that “the minds are already turning to which politician will inherit his votes in the presidential election of next year.”
“Competitors include his son Senator, Flávio Bolsonaro, and former Lady Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, a charismatic movement, who is popular among evangelical voters and conservative women. […] Others believe that ‘intelligent money’ is in the hands of São Paulo’s right-wing governor, Tarcísio de Freitas, a former army captain who was infrastructure minister in the 2019-2023 Bolsonaro government. ”
Originally published by BBC News on 12/09/2025
By Daniel Gallas – BBC News in London
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2025/09/14/condenacao-historica-diz-economist-a-reacao-da-imprensa-internacional-sobre-pena-de-27-anos-a-bolsonaro/
