Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested at his villa in Brasília after the Supreme Court authorised a preventive detention order, citing fears that he was preparing to flee to a foreign embassy to avoid imprisonment for masterminding a failed military coup.
Federal police confirmed on Saturday morning that officers had executed the warrant and taken the 70‑year‑old politician to a police base located seven miles from the presidential palace he occupied between 2019 and 2022. Bolsonaro had been living under house arrest since August, following his conviction for attempting to overturn the 2022 election result.
The arrest was ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who argued that Bolsonaro posed a flight risk. Moraes noted that the former president’s supporters had organised a vigil outside his residence, which could have been used as a diversion to facilitate an escape to one of Brasília’s many diplomatic compounds.
In September, Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for orchestrating the coup attempt designed to prevent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from assuming office after his election victory. Despite the sentence, Bolsonaro had not yet been imprisoned, with legal appeals and procedural matters delaying his transfer to a penal facility.
Concerns intensified after Bolsonaro’s electronic ankle monitor was found to have been tampered with at 12.08am on Saturday. Moraes stated that the damage suggested a deliberate attempt to break the device, thereby enabling an escape under cover of the confusion caused by the planned protest.
Bolsonaro’s proximity to the United States embassy heightened suspicions. His villa is located about 15 minutes away, and Moraes highlighted the risk that the former president might seek refuge there. Bolsonaro has previously been accused of attempting to secure asylum abroad. In August, reports suggested he had sought protection in Argentina, where right‑wing president Javier Milei is in power.
In 2024, Bolsonaro spent two nights inside the Hungarian embassy in Brasília, raising further questions about his intentions.
The arrest comes amid growing speculation that he would soon be transferred to Papuda, a maximum‑security prison in the capital. His allies have expressed outrage at the prospect, describing the move as politically motivated persecution. Congressman Sóstenes Cavalcante, a close associate, denounced the arrest as “the biggest act of political persecution in Brazilian history”.
The former Brazilian president supporters had been preparing to gather outside his residence on Saturday evening in a show of solidarity. The vigil was promoted by his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who urged followers in a social media video to “fight for your country” rather than remain passive at home. Authorities feared the demonstration could provide cover for an escape attempt.
Reactions to the arrest have been sharply divided. Supporters of President Lula welcomed the development, arguing that it demonstrated accountability for Bolsonaro’s actions. Reimont Otoni, a congressman from Lula’s Workers’ Party, declared: “The message to Brazil, and to the world, is that crime doesn’t pay.” He added that Bolsonaro’s plot had included a conspiracy to assassinate Lula, underscoring the gravity of the charges.
His wife, Michelle, responded by posting a biblical passage on social media. Quoting Psalm 121, she wrote: “The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Her message was interpreted by supporters as a sign of resilience in the face of adversity.
The arrest marks a dramatic escalation in the legal battle surrounding Bolsonaro, whose presidency was defined by polarisation and controversy. His close ties to international figures such as US President Donald Trump have long been a feature of his political identity, and his attempts to seek refuge abroad highlight the global dimensions of his predicament.
As the former Brazilian president awaits the next stage of judicial proceedings, Brazil remains deeply divided. For his opponents, the arrest represents justice served after years of turmoil. For his supporters, it is evidence of political persecution. The coming weeks are likely to prove decisive in determining whether the former president is transferred to Papuda prison or continues to fight his sentence through appeals.
