Bolsonaro is Out of Brazilian Politics for 8 Years

On Friday, with the vote of Judge Carmen Antunes, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) achieved a majority to strip former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro of all political rights for eight years. He was found guilty of abuse of power during his administration (2019-2023).

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"I want to state that I fully support Judge Benedito Goncalves," Antunes said at the beginning of her vote reading, which adds to the other three judges who already found Bolsonaro guilty of abuses of power during the 2022 presidential campaign, in which Workers' Party candidate Lula da Silva emerged victorious.

Previously, the case's presiding judge Goncalves argued that Bolsonaro contributed to inciting a state of collective paranoia through fake news or distorted information.

In this regard, for example, the right-wing politician Bolsonaro called about 50 diplomats to a meeting in Brasilia, where he questioned the validity of the presidential elections and the legitimacy of electronic voting.

People in the streets celebrate the decision of the judges. The tweet reads, "That's the mood with Bolsonaro ineligible for 8 years."

"This is a historic day. The TSE majority decided to condemn Bolsonaro and find him ineligible for 8 years! Bolsonaro becomes the first ex-president of the republic to be ineligible," the Landless Workers' Movement tweeted.

While four out of the seven judges managed to consolidate the vote against Bolsonaro, any of the TSE members can still change their opinion until the end of the trial and the official proclamation of the result.

After Antunes concludes the justification of her vote, the pronouncement of Kassio Nunes Marques is expected. He is a far-right judge appointed by Bolsonaro to the TSE, who could delay the trial by about 60 days by requesting more time to analyze the case.

Once Nunes Marques expresses his opinion, however, the final vote will be cast by Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has been vehemently attacked by Bolsonaro and the Brazilian far-right in recent years.