Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was charged on Tuesday for attempting a coup d’etat in 2023 while trying to retain power following his loss in that year’s elections. 

As reported by The Associated Press, Brazil’s prosecutor general, Paulo Gonet, charged Bolsonaro along with 33 others of plotting a conspiracy to remain in power after losing Brazil’s 2022 elections. The alleged scheme would have involved the poisoning of the current president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and the shooting of a judge known to be an enemy to Bolsonaro, Alexandre de Moraes. The accused also face allegations of attempting to violate the democratic process, participating in armed criminal organizations, and the destruction of property in the riots in Brazil’s capital. The charges come after a federal police report was released in November that detailed Bolsonaro’s plan. The report alleges that Bolsonaro and the other defendants tried to incite distrust in the voting system and tried to convince military brass to go along with the coup. 

According to The Guardian, many left-wing and progressive Brazilians welcomed the charges. The former Brazilian president has been criticized for his handling of the Covid pandemic, treatment of indigenous communities, and his previous jabs at the democratic system. He has also been noted for admiring Brazil’s military dictatorships.

Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing and role in the 2023 riots. As reported by The AP, the former president’s defense team stated that they were disappointed at the charges, and claimed that Bolsonaro never tried to incite riots to undermine the democratic system in Brazil. Bolsonaro himself also stated to the media that he wasn’t worried about the accusations, as he hadn’t seen any sort of coup. 

United States President Donald Trump also got himself involved in the political turmoil Wednesday. According to The New York Times, Trump Media Group sued a Supreme Court Justice who was deciding whether or not to arrest Bolsonaro. The suit alleges the judge, Alexandre de Moraes, censored American right-wing voices. President Trump is a close political ally to Bolsonaro, and the two have often been compared. Bolsonaro has claimed that the accusations against him are similar to the ones levied against Trump when he was indicted for attempting to overturn the 2020 US elections. Despite the comparisons in the cases against both men, there also have been stark differences in the way that each respective nation has treated the two figures. Brazil’s Supreme Court has gone on the offensive when dealing with Bolsonaro, whereas the US Supreme Court said that Trump was immune to prosecution for acts committed as president. 

The 2023 riots by Bolsonaro’s supporters caused significant damage and sparked outrage. According to The Guardian, supporters of Bolsonaro, refusing to accept his loss in the elections, stormed government buildings in Brasilia, the nation’s capital. Rioters vandalized the Palacio de Planalto, presidential offices, and the Supreme Court. Furniture was thrown around and stolen, and fires were lit. Lula, the current president of Brazil, condemned the attacks and blamed Bolsonaro for them. Bolsonaro, on the other hand, speaking from Florida, condemned the breaking into of public buildings, but didn’t condemn the rioters, and instead lashed out at Lula for accusing him of inciting the violence. The absence of military police was also something that was noted at the time.

The AP reported that Bolsonaro could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison if he is found guilty of attempting a coup and attempting to abolish democratic processes. Bolsonaro is barred from running in Brazil’s 2026 elections, and the Brazilian Supreme Court is expected to accept the charges and put the former president on trial.