Lula vetoes bill that would have cut Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence

DW
DW
2h ago
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vetoed a bill that would have reduced former President Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence from 27 years to two years.
Lula vetoes bill that would have cut Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence
A What happened
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vetoed a bill that would have reduced Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence. Lula announced the veto on January 8, three years to the day after Bolsonaro supporters rioted in Brasilia demanding the army overthrow Lula. Bolsonaro was convicted last year of plotting a coup and was sentenced to 27 years in prison; the plan included assassinating Lula, his vice president, and Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes.
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Key insights

  • 1

    Lula framed January 8 as a democratic victory: Lula said January 8 was marked by “our democracy’s victory” and a victory over those who tried to seize power by force and disregard the will expressed at the ballot box.

  • 2

    Congress retains the power to override the veto: Congress has the last word on whether the bill becomes law and can override Lula’s veto.

Takeaways

The bill to reduce Bolsonaro’s prison sentence remains blocked by Lula’s veto, but Congress can still override it.

Topics

World & Politics Elections Governance Law & Public Safety Courts

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