Brazilian authorities have tightened security around former president Jair Bolsonaro’s residence, just days before the Supreme Court is due to deliver its verdict in his high-stakes coup trial.
In a ruling seen by AFP, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered police to step up surveillance at the gated luxury compound in Brasilia where Bolsonaro has been confined since August 4. The new measures include full inspections of every vehicle leaving the residence and closer monitoring of the areas surrounding the villa particularly “blind spots” flagged by prison officials as potential escape routes.
The expanded watch comes amid concerns that the 70-year-old former leader, who once sought asylum in Argentina, could attempt to flee rather than face sentencing. Bolsonaro is accused, alongside seven allies, of plotting to cling to power after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
De Moraes has already stationed officers outside the property around the clock, but the prosecution pressed for tougher safeguards after reports suggested Bolsonaro weighed strategies to evade justice.
The stakes could not be higher. If found guilty, the former army captain a close ally of U.S. ex-president Donald Trump could spend up to 40 years behind bars.
The Supreme Court is expected to start delivering its verdict on Tuesday, a decision that could reshape Brazil’s political landscape and determine the fate of one of its most polarizing figures.
