Brazil’s Lula Confirms Veto Against Law That Would Reduce Sentence for Former President Jair Bolsonaro

Original article: Brasil: Lula confirma veto a ley que reduce condena al expresidente Jair Bolsonaro

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, announced his intention to veto a law passed by the Brazilian Congress that could significantly decrease the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro (27 years), who has been convicted of attempting to overthrow the government.

«With all due respect to Congress, when it arrives on my desk, I will veto it (…) I have the right to veto it, and then they have the right to revoke or not my veto,» Lula stated during a press conference on Thursday.

«Those who committed crimes against Brazilian democracy must be held accountable. The trial is not over; people are still being convicted, and reductions in sentences are already being discussed,» the President emphasized critically from Brasília.

It is important to note that the so-called «Dosimetry Law» would allow for reduced sentences for those convicted of the riots on January 8, 2023, and the attempted coup against the elected President, Lula. In total, more than a hundred individuals are imprisoned.

In this regard, under Brazilian legislation, if the presidential veto of this law is enacted, Congress still has the option to override it through an absolute majority vote, meaning the issue is far from settled.

What Does the Proposal Say?

The contentious initiative prevents, among other points, the accumulation of sentences for two of the crimes for which the former president was convicted: the attempt to violently abolish the democratic rule of law and the coup d’état.

According to the approved text, since these crimes are similar, only the harsher penalty would apply; in this case, the coup d’état crime, which carries a maximum of 12 years in prison, would not be added to the penalty for the attempt to violently abolish the state, which has a maximum of 8 years.

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