Dem
47
GOP
53
The U.S. isn't the only country that has dealt with a rogue president. But some of the others deal with them differently. Former president of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro lost reelection and then hatched a plot to have his supporters attack government buildings on Jan. 8, 2023, and kill the new president, vice president, and chief justice of the Supreme Court. It didn't work and Bolsonaro was arrested and put on trial in May 2025. He was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Brazil upheld his conviction, ruled that no more appeals were allowed, and ordered him to start his prison sentence. He was already in police custody Tuesday because earlier he was caught trying to remove his ankle monitor when he was under house arrest pending the appeal.
Like Ghislaine Maxwell, Bolsonaro will get VIP treatment in prison. His 130-square-foot cell has a bed, a desk, a bathroom, a TV, air conditioning, and free access to his doctors and lawyers. Nevertheless, he can't leave for the next 27 years, except in a coffin (he is 70 and claims to be in poor health). In a separate decision, he was earlier barred from running for any public office until 2030. (V)