Sao Paulo:

Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of Sao Paulo on Sunday as former President Jair Bolsonaro flexed his political muscles and slammed an electoral ban that has barred him from running for office for eight years.

Addressing a large crowd of supporters in the economic capital, Bolsonaro again denied accusations that he was plotting a coup to stay in power after losing the October 2022 election.

“What is a coup? Tanks in the streets, weapons, conspiracy. None of this is happening in Brazil,” Bolsonaro said. His passport was seized by police while he and his inner circle were investigated.

“We cannot accept that an authority can exclude anyone from the political arena unless there is a legitimate reason,” he said.

In June, an electoral court banned Bolsonaro from running for office until 2030 over his attacks on the electoral system.

In January 2023, Bolsonaro also called for “pardon for those imprisoned in Brasilia” after his followers invaded the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court to demand the military intervene in what they said were stolen goods. Poor poor soul.” election.

The 68-year-old former military officer said Sunday’s protest was a show of support for his election loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, which has left serious consequences for the country. His legal woes have been piling up more than a year since he left office after losing a divisive election.

Bolsonaro claims that the green and yellow colors of the Brazilian flag are symbols of his time in office, and his supporters gathered on Paulista Avenue, one of the main arteries of Brazil’s economic capital.

The former leader reiterated that he was “persecuted” after being in power from 2019-2022.

“I’m seeking peace, erasing the past and finding a way for us to live in peace,” he said.

On February 8, investigators launched “Operation Tempus Veritatis” (Latin for “Moment of Truth”), with police conducting dozens of search and seizure operations and arresting several Bolsonaro allies.

Investigators accuse Bolsonaro of months of anti-democratic actions, including planning a “disinformation” campaign ahead of the election to discredit Brazil’s electronic voting system in order to “legitimize military intervention” if he loses “.

Police said Bolsonaro edited a draft presidential decree that would declare a state of emergency, hold new elections and order the arrest of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, president of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Tribunal.

They also released video of a July 2022 meeting in which Bolsonaro yelled, cursed and ordered cabinet ministers to help him discredit the electoral system.

Far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro denies the accusations and refused to answer questions during a half-hour interrogation at federal police headquarters in Brasilia on Thursday.

Gleisi Hoffmann, president of Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT), wrote on You almost have to take responsibility for it.”

Bolsonaro also faces several other investigations, such as for counterfeiting Covid-19 vaccination certificates or for allegedly misappropriating gifts received from other countries, such as jewelry provided by Saudi Arabia.

Still, Bolsonaro is considered an opposition leader and is adored by his fervent supporters.

“Bolsonaro is an honest man, a victim of persecution,” said Wilson Aseka, a 63-year-old builder who traveled 700 kilometers (430 miles) from Minas Gerais state ) came to participate in the protest.

“It is important to support him because he represents God, country and family,” he added, with a Brazilian flag on his shoulders, repeating the former president’s motto.

Sunday afternoon’s protest is seen as a litmus test for his support ahead of municipal elections in October, where his influence is expected to play a key role in a still polarized country.

Bolsonaro and his supporters also waved Israeli flags at the protests, rejecting Lula’s recent comments comparing Israel’s offensive in Gaza to the Holocaust.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)