Brazil's ex-defense minister detained over alleged coup involvement
Walter Braga Netto is now believed to have played a crucial role in an alleged scheme to take power following Brazil’s 2022 election. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Walter Braga Netto has been arrested and faces charges of meddling in an investigation related to an alleged plot to seize power following the 2022 election.
The former Defense Minister of Brazil was detained on Saturday amid accusations suggesting he organized and financed a planned military coup. These allegations are tied to attempts to overturn the narrow electoral victory of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2022.
Braga Netto was previously the chief of staff for former President Jair Bolsonaro and served as his running mate during Bolsonaro’s unsuccessful reelection bid against Lula.
He has consistently denied any connection to the alleged conspiracy. On Saturday, his legal team announced their intention to prove that he did not interfere with the investigation, as reported by Reuters.
The accusations against Braga Netto surfaced last month when federal police linked him, along with Bolsonaro, top aides, and former military officials, to a conspiracy aimed at preventing Lula from assuming office. The police's statement implied that the group even considered plans to assassinate the newly elected president.
The arrest was prompted by new evidence indicating that Braga Netto's involvement in the alleged coup plot was more extensive than previously understood, leading Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to authorize the arrest. Investigators allege that the former minister attempted to obstruct the police inquiry by seeking details about statements made by Mauro Cid, a Bolsonaro aide who is cooperating with the authorities.
Retired General Mario Fernandes, who served as a senior advisor to Bolsonaro, is among the suspects implicated in the coup plot. Lula da Silva began his third, non-consecutive term as Brazil's president in January 2023, having narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in the October 2022 presidential election.
In response to the election results, Bolsonaro asserted that the election had been stolen from him due to a "malfunction" affecting numerous electronic voting machines. His supporters subsequently took to the streets, blocking highways and storming the presidential palace in Brasília on January 8, 2023, just a week after Lula's inauguration.
At the time of the unrest, Bolsonaro was in the United States, but he later called for an end to the protests and endorsed the transition process to Lula's government. He has since been prohibited from holding public office in Brazil until 2030. Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Paulo Cunha Bueno, stated that the former president had no involvement in or awareness of the alleged coup plot.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
The former Defense Minister of Brazil was detained on Saturday amid accusations suggesting he organized and financed a planned military coup. These allegations are tied to attempts to overturn the narrow electoral victory of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2022.
Braga Netto was previously the chief of staff for former President Jair Bolsonaro and served as his running mate during Bolsonaro’s unsuccessful reelection bid against Lula.
He has consistently denied any connection to the alleged conspiracy. On Saturday, his legal team announced their intention to prove that he did not interfere with the investigation, as reported by Reuters.
The accusations against Braga Netto surfaced last month when federal police linked him, along with Bolsonaro, top aides, and former military officials, to a conspiracy aimed at preventing Lula from assuming office. The police's statement implied that the group even considered plans to assassinate the newly elected president.
The arrest was prompted by new evidence indicating that Braga Netto's involvement in the alleged coup plot was more extensive than previously understood, leading Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to authorize the arrest. Investigators allege that the former minister attempted to obstruct the police inquiry by seeking details about statements made by Mauro Cid, a Bolsonaro aide who is cooperating with the authorities.
Retired General Mario Fernandes, who served as a senior advisor to Bolsonaro, is among the suspects implicated in the coup plot. Lula da Silva began his third, non-consecutive term as Brazil's president in January 2023, having narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in the October 2022 presidential election.
In response to the election results, Bolsonaro asserted that the election had been stolen from him due to a "malfunction" affecting numerous electronic voting machines. His supporters subsequently took to the streets, blocking highways and storming the presidential palace in Brasília on January 8, 2023, just a week after Lula's inauguration.
At the time of the unrest, Bolsonaro was in the United States, but he later called for an end to the protests and endorsed the transition process to Lula's government. He has since been prohibited from holding public office in Brazil until 2030. Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Paulo Cunha Bueno, stated that the former president had no involvement in or awareness of the alleged coup plot.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
