Jailhouse Surprise: The FormerPresident Jair Bolsonaro Faces Life Behind Bars
He fought justice and the legal system prevailed.
A couple of months following receiving a quarter-century plus sentence for trying to “annihilate” Brazil’s political system, former president Jair Bolsonaro finally looks destined for incarceration.
Expected Incarceration
The convicted coup-monger – who has been under house arrest in his estate while a series of judicial steps and challenges unfold – is widely expected to be jailed in the coming days, during growing speculation that he will be transferred to a infamous maximum security facility.
Past Remarks on Prisoners
Throughout Bolsonaro’s 40-year public life, the right-wing ex- soldier displayed minimal compassion for Brazil’s jailed individuals.
“What’s the need to offer these scoundrels a comfortable existence?” he previously wondered. “They ought to simply be screwed, full-fucking-stop. That’s what I reckon.”
In another instance, Bolsonaro proclaimed: “Should you not wish to end up in prison, you simply need is to avoid rape, kidnap or theft.”
Prison Location Debate
Yet the idea of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda prison top-security prison in Brasília has shocked supporters, several of whom this week toured the complex in an apparent bid to discourage the high court from transferring him there.
Senator Lucas, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was among that group, stated he expected the elderly figure to be imprisoned in the coming fortnight and feared his location could be Papuda.
He asserted Bolsonaro’s serious digestive issues – the outcome of a near-fatal knife attack during the 2018 election race – implied it would be risky to keep the former president there. “His condition is highly critical. He won’t be able to manage if they move him to Papuda … It could be terrible,” he added, who also expressed concern about cramped cells and the quality of prison meals.
When inspecting Papuda, Lucas remembered witnessing cells containing four dozen detainees: “That is almost one square meter per prisoner.
“We spoke to the inmates and they grumble, naturally, of the terrible food,” continued the senator.
Allies Speak Out
The senator isn't the sole person speaking out before the ex-leader's expected imprisonment.
Penning in a major daily, one more backer, the ex- government official Fábio Wajngarten, deplored the “harsh” end to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” public service and alleged Brazil was about to see “the biggest political injustice in its history”.
“It represents an wrong that erodes the spirits of many of Brazilians,” the former minister said.
Divided Popular Opinion
That may be true given the substantial backing Bolsonaro maintains on the right-wing. Yet his anticipated incarceration has also warmed the spirits of millions individuals who believe he should be incarcerated for planning to stop his successor from becoming president – and additionally conspiring to have him assassinated.
The lawmaker, a congressman for the current president's allied group, said: “Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be placed in a dark cell. No one desires Bolsonaro to be put in isolation. No one desires Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to lie on concrete. We desire him to get proper treatment – but respectful care in prison. He can’t carry on being his own prison warden for his lifetime.”
He observed how Bolsonaro supporters, who have spent years applauding the harsh treatment of inmates, had abruptly realized to their rights. “Only now has the conservative fringe – which has repeatedly claimed that civil liberties are not for offenders – opted to visit a prison to learn what conditions are really like,” he said.
“He is a criminal,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he merited “shameful, degrading handling”.
Possible Jail Facilities
Despite talk that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which currently contains about 14,000 detainees, his probable location seems to be a adjacent penitentiary for police officers and other “special” prisoners called Papudinha (Little Papuda).
Its cells are considerably more comfortable than those in the primary facility, although nevertheless a world away from the opulence Bolsonaro enjoyed while living in the stunning leader's home, approximately 12 miles away.
According to reports, the cell Bolsonaro could likely occupy in Papudinha is about 260 square feet – approximately the dimensions of two parking spaces – and features a 12 sq metre bathroom with a shower and a 12 sq metre terrace. “Bolsonaro would be permitted to have a TV and also a small fridge in his quarters as long as they were provided by his family,” the report suggested.
Ideological Responses
He condemned the talked-about proposal to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “an act of payback” on the part of the presiding magistrate who presided over Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will rule on his outcome in the {