A trove of leaked audio recordings from late 2022 has unveiled a disturbing conversation among high-ranking members of Brazil’s military, revealing efforts to pressure then-President Jair Bolsonaro to carry out a coup and remain in power after losing the election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The 53 audio files, obtained by the Federal Police and accessed by The Associated Press on Monday, offer a rare and candid look at military figures plotting to prevent Lula from taking office. These recordings include voices of military officials discussing strategies to support Bolsonaro in his refusal to concede the election and potentially overturn the results.
Among the audios, one recording stands out where Col. Roberto Raimundo Criscuoli, a former subcommander of the army’s special forces, tells retired Brig. Gen. Mario Fernandes about the opportunity to incite a civil war in order to challenge the election outcome. “It will be either a civil war now or civil war later. We have a justification now for civil war; people are on the streets, we have massive support,” Criscuoli is heard saying. “Let’s do this now. Speak to 01,” referring to Bolsonaro.
Though these audios were not directly linked to the formal accusations made by Brazil’s police in November, which suggested Bolsonaro and 36 others attempted to stage a coup, they shed light on a covert campaign to discredit the election and maintain Bolsonaro’s grip on power. Bolsonaro had consistently cast doubt on the election results and never formally conceded, instead leaving for the United States just days before Lula’s inauguration on Jan. 1, 2023.
The leaked recordings also reveal Col. Reginaldo Vieira de Abreu echoing a sentiment often expressed by Bolsonaro, arguing that the country’s constitution should be ignored in favor of preserving the president’s rule. “We are at war, they are winning,” Abreu says in one audio, lamenting the military’s perceived incompetence in responding to the political crisis.
Another significant audio, from Dec. 8, captures Bolsonaro’s aide-de-camp, Lt. Col. Mauro Cid, speaking with Gen. Fernandes about the urgency of the situation. “It would have to be before the 12th, right?” Cid says, referring to the date the electoral court would certify Lula’s victory. “We can’t wait much longer.”
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the investigation, cited some of these audios in his recent ruling, which resulted in the arrest of five individuals for their role in plotting the assassination of Lula and attempting to subvert the election results on Jan. 8, 2023. On that day, Bolsonaro supporters launched an assault on government buildings in Brasília, demanding military intervention to prevent Lula’s presidency.
Gen. Fernandes, who was arrested as part of the investigation, repeatedly claimed that the election was rigged for Lula and urged the military to act in Bolsonaro’s favor before Lula could officially assume power. “Any solution, you know, will not happen without breaking eggs,” Fernandes said. “We have to go for it. We have popular support.”
Despite these efforts, Brazil’s military high command ultimately did not back a coup. Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters who had camped outside army barracks to pressure military leaders were sent home after the new army commander ordered their departure following the January 8 riot.
The audios offer a glimpse into the extreme measures some of Bolsonaro’s supporters were willing to take in order to retain power, and they contribute to ongoing investigations into the attempts to subvert Brazil’s democratic processes. Bolsonaro, already facing multiple investigations for alleged crimes, including abuse of power, has been ruled ineligible to run for president until 2030.
