Brazil protests attempt to shield Bolsonaro with amnesty bill

Tens of thousands of people across Brazil have taken to the streets in all 26 states and in the Federal District, to oppose a proposed amnesty bill that could pardon former President Jair Bolsonaro, his allies, and supporters convicted in the 8 January, 2023 coup attempt.

Proposed by right-wing lawmakers, the amnesty measure (Bill 2162/23) was fast-tracked by Brazil’s lower house and includes protection for those involved in anti-democratic demonstrations from late 2022 onward. Among those could be people convicted in the Brasília riots. 

Protests were massive and widespread, hitting major cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador, and Belo Horizonte. Civil society groups, artists, union leaders and citizens came together under slogans such as “No amnesty!” and by invoking Brazil’s history of state abuses to warn against granting impunity. 

Bolsonaro, convicted and under house arrest for attempting to overturn the 2022 election, stands at the centre of this storm. His supporters argue the amnesty is needed for reconciliation; opponents say that pardoning coup-plotters would violate constitutional norms and threaten judicial independence.

The bill now advances to the Senate, as public debate intensifies. 

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