On 21 November, Brazil's Federal Police formally accused former President Jair Bolsonaro and over 30 supporters of attempting a coup to prevent President Lula da Silva from taking office after the 2022 elections, among several other crimes. The charges, based on a two-year investigation, allege Bolsonaro, along with ministers, aides, and military personnel, formed a criminal organization to keep him in power after his defeat. The police report, submitted to Brazil’s Supreme Court, now awaits a decision from Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet on whether to proceed with prosecution. Earlier that week, the Federal Police arrested four military personnel and a police officer accused of plotting to assassinate President Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Additionally, a Bolsonaro supporter detonated at least two bombs near the STF on 13 November in what police believe was a politically motivated attack targeting de Moraes. Former President Bolsonaro denies all charges.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian (1), Associated Press, Rio Times, Agência Brasil, BBC, The Guardian (2)

On 31 October, a Rio de Janeiro court sentenced former police officers Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Queiroz to prison for the 2018 assassination of councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, and for the attempted murder of Fernanda Chaves, Franco’s advisor, who survived the attack. The men admitted to acting on orders from two high-ranking politicians and a former police chief, and received sentences of 78 and 59 years, respectively. The court found that the attack was planned months ahead and was intended to obstruct Franco’s work on housing rights for marginalized communities. As a prominent voice against police brutality and an influential Black, gay woman born in a favela, Franco’s assassination became one of the city’s most high-profile murders, exposing collusion between organized crime and politics in Brazil. The families celebrated the verdict as a step toward justice and urged accountability for the masterminds behind the crime, whose trial dates remain pending.

Sources: Brazil de Fato, The Guardian, BBC, Pagina 12, OHCHR

The Brazilian government and the Samarco mining company, responsible for a catastrophic dam breach in  Mariana (Minas Gerais), have settled for USD 31 billion in compensation. In 2015, a dam  holding a tailings pond filled with iron ore waste, belonging to the Samarco mining company, collapsed, leading to the release of a flood of toxic waste. The disaster, deemed as the result of the company’s negligence, killed 19 people, displaced thousands, led to the destruction of several villages, and polluted the Rio Doce, a river vital for many communities and which remains contaminated. The settlement is intended to be used for environmental recovery and to compensate over 300,000 victims. However, civil society groups argue it falls short of addressing the full extent of the damage. In parallel, a class action lawsuit representing over 600,000 victims of the Mariana tragedy is scheduled to start on 21 October in London against BHP, a mining giant that partially owns Samarco.

Sources: G1, Midia Ninja, AP news, Infobae, The Guardian

Human Rights Minister Silvio Almeida has been dismissed from office following multiple accusations of sexual harassment that have shaken the government and caused public outrage. The scandal surfaced when the NGO, Me Too Brazil, received several complaints against the minister. Among the high-profile individuals accusing Almeida is Anielle Franco, head of the Racial Equality Ministry. Shortly after the accusations became public, the government decided to remove Almeida from his position, stating that keeping someone in office while facing such serious allegations would be incompatible with its commitment to defending women's rights. The president also announced that the accusations would be investigated by the federal police. Almeida, a renowned academic and leading voice in the fight against racial inequality in Brazil, was appointed Human Rights Minister by President Lula Da Silva in 2022 and enjoyed wide support from civil society before the accusations emerged. He has denied all accusations, calling them baseless and politically motivated.

Sources:  Presidência da Republica, El Pais, Me too Brasil, Metropoles

Social media platform X has been blocked in Brazil, following tension with the country’s Federal Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal, STF). The legal controversy began when Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to block certain users linked to the spread of misinformation related to the January 2023 riot, in which supporters of former President Bolsonaro stormed the presidential palace, Congress, and STF. Elon Musk, the company’s owner, refused, arguing that the orders constituted censorship. After the company decided to close its local office, Moraes ordered X to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil, as mandated by the “Internet Bill of Rights” law, an order the company did not comply with. Consequently, an STF five-judge panel upheld the platform’s ban, citing non-compliance with local regulations. Additionally, it established large fines for citizens who attempt to bypass the restriction using VPNs. Some experts argue that the STF's actions were justified and set a positive precedent for holding tech companies accountable to the laws of the countries in which they operate. Musk and other critics have accused the judiciary of suppressing free speech. The far-right opposition is preparing to request Moraes's impeachment in the Senate.

Update: On 8 October, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the lifting of the ban on the X platform after the company paid fines that amounted to over USD 5 million, agreed to block nine profiles accused of spreading disinformation, and assigned a legal representative, complying with previous judicial orders.

Sources:  The Conversation, Agência Pública, The Guardian, Senado Brazil, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), Internet Steering Committee in Brazil, G1, El Pais