Prison Shock: Brazil's FormerPresident Jair Bolsonaro Faces Time Behind Bars

He contested the law and the legal system triumphed.

Sixty days after receiving a quarter-century plus sentence for seeking to “eradicate” Brazil’s democracy, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro finally seems jail-bound.

Anticipated Incarceration

The convicted instigator – who's been living under house arrest in his mansion while a series of legal procedures and challenges unfold – is widely expected to be jailed in the next few days, amid growing speculation that he will be sent to a well-known high-security prison.

Previous Comments on Prisoners

Throughout Bolsonaro’s four-decade time in politics, the far-right ex- military man displayed minimal sympathy for Brazil’s prison population.

“Why should we offer those scoundrels a good life?” he once mused. “They should just get fucked, full-fucking-stop. That's my view.”

At another time, Bolsonaro declared: “Unless you desire to wind up there, all you have to do is not rape, abduction or theft.”

Incarceration Destination Speculation

But the prospect of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda maximum security prison in Brasília has appalled allies, several of whom this week toured the complex in an apparent effort to discourage the high court from transferring him there.

Izalci Lucas, a senator from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was one of the visitors, claimed he expected the 70-year-old leader to be jailed in the following week and a half and was concerned his assigned prison could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s serious intestinal ailments – the result of a almost deadly stabbing during the 2018 presidential campaign – signified it would be dangerous to keep the ex-leader there. “His condition is highly critical. He will not be able to manage if they take him to Papuda … It would be awful,” he commented, who also expressed concern about packed cells and the condition of prison meals.

During his tour Papuda, Lucas noted seeing cells holding 40 detainees: “That is practically one meter squared per prisoner.

“We conversed to the convicts and they complain, naturally, of the terrible food,” remarked the senator.

Allies React

The senator isn't the lone figure speaking out before the former president’s anticipated incarceration.

Authoring in a leading newspaper, another ally, the former government official Fábio Wajngarten, deplored the “brutal” finale to Bolsonaro’s “spotless” political career and alleged Brazil was about to experience “the greatest unfairness in its past”.

“It represents an unfairness that gnaws the souls of millions Brazilian citizens,” Wajngarten wrote.

Divided Popular Reaction

This could be true due to the considerable support Bolsonaro maintains on the Brazilian right. However his anticipated jailing has also pleased the feelings of millions individuals who think he should be jailed for planning to block the elected leader from taking power – and additionally plotting to have him assassinated.

Reimont Otoni, a representative for the incumbent president's Workers’ party, stated: “No one desires Bolsonaro to be placed in a dungeon. Nobody wants Bolsonaro to be sent in segregation. No one wants Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to rest on hard ground. We want him to obtain proper care – but dignified treatment while incarcerated. He must not persist being his self-appointed guard for his lifetime.”

Otoni was struck by how Bolsonaro supporters, who have spent years praising the harsh handling of inmates, had abruptly woken up to their rights. “Recently has the extreme right – which has repeatedly argued that civil liberties should not be for lawbreakers – opted to tour a jail to learn what conditions are actually like,” he said.

“The former president is a lawbreaker,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he merited “degrading, insulting handling”.

Likely Jail Environment

In spite of speculation that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which presently contains about 14,000 prisoners, his expected location appears to be a close penitentiary for law enforcement and other “unique” inmates known as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

His potential cell are much more comfortable than those in the primary facility, although nonetheless a distant from the opulence Bolsonaro enjoyed while residing in the stunning official residence, about 12 miles away.

Based on information, the cell Bolsonaro could likely occupy in Papudinha measures about 24 sq metres – about the area of a couple of car spots – and features a 12 square meter restroom with a bathing area and a 130 square foot veranda. “Bolsonaro would be allowed to have a set and additionally a small fridge in his room as long as they were donated by his loved ones,” sources indicated.

Ideological Reactions

He condemned the rumoured plan to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “a form of revenge” on the part of the presiding magistrate who presided over Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will determine his future in the {

Justin Cruz
Justin Cruz

A seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in reviewing online casinos and developing winning strategies.