Jailhouse Surprise: Brazil's Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro Confronts Time Behind Bars
He battled justice and the law won.
Two months after being handed a twenty-seven-year sentence for trying to “destroy” the nation's democratic institutions, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro finally looks destined for incarceration.
Imminent Incarceration
The adjudicated coup-monger – who had been subject to house arrest in his estate while a set of judicial steps and appeals proceed – is largely predicted to be jailed in the next few days, during increasing speculation that he will be moved to a notorious top-security facility.
Historical Remarks on Convicts
During Bolsonaro’s long political career, the far-right ex- military man displayed minimal sympathy for the country's inmates.
“What’s the need to offer those dirtbags a easy time?” he once mused. “They ought to simply be messed, end of story. That's my opinion.”
In another instance, Bolsonaro declared: “If you don’t want to wind up in prison, all you have to do is not rape, abduction or theft.”
Incarceration Destination Discussion
However the idea of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda prison top-security prison in Brasília has horrified backers, four of whom this week inspected the prison in an seeming effort to discourage the supreme court from transferring him there.
The senator, a politician from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was one of the visitors, said he predicted the elderly figure to be incarcerated in the next 10 days and feared his destination could be Papuda.
Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s acute digestive problems – the consequence of a near-fatal knife attack during the 2018 presidential election race – signified it would be dangerous to keep the ex-leader there. “His condition is very grave. He won’t be able to manage if they take him to Papuda … It will be awful,” he commented, who also expressed concern about overcrowded cells and the quality of inmate food.
While visiting Papuda, Lucas noted observing cells containing four dozen detainees: “That is almost one square meter per detainee.
“We talked to the prisoners and they grumble, of course, of the terrible meals,” remarked the senator.
Backers React
Lucas is not the only voice voicing opinions before the ex-leader's anticipated detention.
Writing in a major publication, a different supporter, the former cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “brutal” end to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” political career and asserted Brazil was about to witness “the greatest political injustice in its record”.
“It is an wrong that erodes the spirits of many Brazilian citizens,” he stated.
Mixed General Response
This could be accurate considering the considerable backing Bolsonaro maintains on the Brazilian right. However his predicted jailing has also warmed the spirits of numerous individuals who believe he deserves to be incarcerated for planning to stop the elected leader from taking power – and also plotting to have him assassinated.
Congressman Otoni, a congressman for the incumbent leader's Workers’ party, said: “Not a soul desires Bolsonaro to be put in a dark cell. Nobody wishes Bolsonaro to be sent in isolation. Not a soul desires Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to lie on concrete. We want him to obtain dignified care – but respectful care while incarcerated. He can’t persist being his personal jailer for his whole life.”
The congressman noted how Bolsonaro allies, who have for a long time applauding the severe treatment of prisoners, had unexpectedly become aware to their rights. “Recently has the far-right – which has consistently asserted that civil liberties should not be for criminals – decided to inspect a prison to discover what circumstances are truly like,” he said.
“He is a offender,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he earned “shameful, demeaning conduct”.
Possible Jail Environment
Regardless of rumors that Bolsonaro could be transferred to Papuda, which currently contains about thousands of detainees, his probable location appears to be a close penitentiary for police officers and other “special” prisoners called Papudinha (Small Papuda).
Its cells are far more adequate than those in the primary facility, although still a world away from the comfort Bolsonaro experienced while occupying the impressive leader's home, about 20 kilometers away.
According to sources, the room Bolsonaro could expect to occupy in Papudinha measures about 24 sq metres – roughly the area of a couple of car spots – and features a 12 square meter restroom with a shower and a 130 square foot veranda. “Bolsonaro would be authorized to have a television and even a minibar in his cell as long as they were provided by his relatives,” sources indicated.
Partisan Responses
He denounced the talked-about proposal to send the former leader to Papuda as “a form of retaliation” on the part of the supreme court judge who oversaw Bolsonaro’s coup trial and will rule on his future in the {