Prison Shock: Brazil's FormerPresident Jair Bolsonaro Faces Life in Prison
He contested the legal system and the law triumphed.
A couple of months subsequent to being handed a quarter-century plus sentence for trying to “annihilate” Brazil’s democracy, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro now seems jail-bound.
Anticipated Jailing
The adjudicated coup-monger – who's been subject to residential detention in his residence while a series of court processes and appeals play out – is largely predicted to be imprisoned in the near future, amid growing rumors that he will be moved to a infamous high-security penitentiary.
Past Remarks on Prisoners
Throughout Bolsonaro’s long time in politics, the conservative ex- soldier displayed little compassion for the country's inmates.
“For what reason must we offer these lowlifes a good life?” he previously wondered. “They should just get screwed, period. That's my view.”
At another time, Bolsonaro declared: “Unless you desire to end up there, all you have to do is to avoid rape, kidnap or theft.”
Jail Facility Speculation
However the idea of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda maximum security prison in Brasília has appalled allies, a group of four this week visited the complex in an apparent bid to prevent the judiciary from transferring him there.
Senator Lucas, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was part of that quartet, claimed he anticipated the 70-year-old figure to be jailed in the following week and a half and was concerned his destination could be Papuda.
The senator argued Bolsonaro’s acute digestive problems – the outcome of a life-threatening knife attack during the 2018 presidential political campaign – signified it would be dangerous to keep the one-time head of state there. “His health is very grave. He won’t be able to manage if they move him to Papuda … It could be awful,” said the senator, who also worried about cramped cells and the quality of prison meals.
When inspecting Papuda, Lucas remembered witnessing cells accommodating 40 detainees: “That is virtually one square meter per detainee.
“We talked to the convicts and they protest, unsurprisingly, of the horrible food,” continued the senator.
Allies React
The senator isn't the only voice expressing views prior to the ex-leader's expected detention.
Writing in a leading daily, a different supporter, the ex- communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, deplored the “brutal” end to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” time in office and claimed Brazil was about to witness “the largest unfairness in its history”.
“It is an injustice that gnaws the hearts of millions of Brazilians,” the former minister said.
Divided Public Opinion
It is possibly true given the significant backing Bolsonaro holds on the Brazilian right. However his predicted imprisonment has also gladdened the feelings of numerous individuals who feel he deserves to be jailed for plotting to block the elected leader from becoming president – and also plotting to have him assassinated.
The lawmaker, a politician for the sitting president's allied group, stated: “Not a soul desires Bolsonaro to be placed in a dungeon. Nobody wishes Bolsonaro to be put in segregation. No one wishes Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We wish him to get respectful care – but dignified treatment in prison. He cannot persist being his own prison warden for his whole life.”
The congressman noted how Bolsonaro allies, who have for a long time applauding the tough treatment of convicts, had suddenly realized to their entitlements. “Just now has the far-right – which has always argued that basic rights were not for lawbreakers – chosen to inspect a prison to find out what situations are really like,” he stated.
“Bolsonaro is a lawbreaker,” Otoni insisted, but that did not mean he earned “shameful, insulting treatment”.
Potential Prison Environment
Despite talk that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which now houses about 14,000 inmates, his more likely destination seems to be a close penitentiary for police officers and other “unique” prisoners referred to as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).
The accommodations are considerably more comfortable than those in the main prison, although nevertheless a distant from the opulence Bolsonaro had while residing in the impressive leader's home, around 20 kilometers away.
According to sources, the accommodation Bolsonaro could likely reside in in Papudinha measures about 260 square feet – about the size of two parking spaces – and features a 130 square foot restroom with a water facility and a 12 sq metre veranda. “Bolsonaro would be authorized to have a set and even a minibar in his quarters as long as they were donated by his family,” sources suggested.
Ideological Responses
Senator Lucas denounced the talked-about proposal to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “an act of revenge” on the part of the judicial authority who led Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will rule on his outcome in the {