Jailhouse Shock: The FormerPresident Bolsonaro Faces Life in Prison

He fought the legal system and the law prevailed.

Two months subsequent to being handed a quarter-century plus sentence for trying to “eradicate” Brazil’s democratic institutions, former president Jair Bolsonaro now seems destined for incarceration.

Anticipated Imprisonment

The convicted coup-monger – who's been subject to house arrest in his mansion while a series of legal procedures and challenges play out – is widely expected to be jailed in the near future, amidst mounting speculation that he will be moved to a notorious maximum security penitentiary.

Previous Comments on Inmates

During Bolsonaro’s 40-year time in politics, the far-right former military man exhibited little sympathy for Brazil’s inmates.

“For what reason must we offer these dirtbags a comfortable existence?” he previously wondered. “They should just get messed, full-fucking-stop. That's my view.”

At another time, Bolsonaro proclaimed: “If you don’t want to end up behind bars, the only thing required is not rape, abduction or theft.”

Jail Location Debate

But the possibility of Bolsonaro himself winding up in the Papuda prison top-security prison in Brasília has shocked allies, several of whom this week visited the facility in an apparent attempt to discourage the judiciary from sending him there.

Senator Lucas, a senator from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was part of that quartet, stated he expected the 70-year-old leader to be imprisoned in the following week and a half and was concerned his location could be Papuda.

The senator argued Bolsonaro’s acute digestive ailments – the result of a life-threatening stabbing during the 2018 election race – implied it would be risky to keep the one-time head of state there. “His condition is extremely serious. He will not be able to handle it if they send him to Papuda … It could be dreadful,” he commented, who also worried about overcrowded cells and the quality of prison meals.

When inspecting Papuda, Lucas recalled witnessing cells holding 40 inmates: “That’s almost one square metre per inmate.

“We spoke to the inmates and they protest, naturally, of the horrible cuisine,” added the senator.

Allies React

The senator isn't the sole person expressing views prior to the one-time head of state's expected incarceration.

Authoring in a major publication, one more backer, the former communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “harsh” conclusion to Bolsonaro’s “flawless” political career and claimed Brazil was about to experience “the largest political injustice in its record”.

“It represents an wrong that gnaws the hearts of millions Brazilian citizens,” the former minister said.

Divided General Reaction

It is possibly accurate due to the considerable support Bolsonaro maintains on the Brazilian right. But his expected jailing has also warmed the feelings of many other people who think he should be jailed for planning to prevent the incoming president from taking power – and also conspiring to have him assassinated.

Congressman Otoni, a politician for the current leader's political party, stated: “Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be put in a dark cell. No one wants Bolsonaro to be placed in solitary confinement. No one wants Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to lie on concrete. We want him to receive dignified handling – but respectful care in prison. He can’t continue being his personal jailer for his entire life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro allies, who have long celebrating the severe handling of prisoners, had abruptly woken up to their entitlements. “Just now has the extreme right – which has always asserted that civil liberties are not for lawbreakers – opted to tour a penitentiary to discover what conditions are really like,” he said.

“Bolsonaro is a lawbreaker,” Otoni insisted, but that did not mean he deserved “shameful, insulting handling”.

Likely Prison Environment

Despite rumors that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which presently contains about 14,000 detainees, his probable assigned facility looks to be a adjacent prison for police officers and other “unique” prisoners referred to as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

The accommodations are far more pleasant than those in the larger jail, although nonetheless a distant from the comfort Bolsonaro enjoyed while residing in the impressive official residence, about 12 miles away.

As per sources, the room Bolsonaro could expect to occupy in Papudinha is about 24 square meters – approximately the size of a couple of car spots – and features a 130 square foot restroom with a water facility and a 12 square meter veranda. “The ex-president might be permitted to have a set and additionally a minibar in his room as long as they were provided by his relatives,” the report indicated.

Partisan Reactions

The lawmaker condemned the rumoured proposal to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “a type of retaliation” on the part of the judicial authority who oversaw Bolsonaro’s coup trial and will decide his future in the {

Michael Gonzalez
Michael Gonzalez

A tech journalist and AI researcher with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and their impact on society.