Key insights
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1
Lula linked the veto to defending democracy: Lula wrote that Brazilians do not have the right to forget the past and said the leniency bill would have benefitted people who attacked Brazilian democracy.
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2
The leniency bill was treated as an electoral and ideological test: Journalist Gustavo Ribeiro said conservatives overwhelmingly supported the bill, liberals were adamantly against it, and October’s general election was a significant factor in Congress passing it.
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3
The bill was described as a compromise short of full amnesty: Ribeiro said the centre-right sought a middle-of-the-road solution that was not full amnesty and could have allowed Bolsonaro to leave incarceration after two years under a semi-open sentence.
Takeaways
Lula’s veto blocks a congressional effort to shorten Bolsonaro’s prison term, with the dispute unfolding in the context of the January 8 anniversary and Brazil’s October general election.
Topics
World & Politics Elections Governance Law & Public Safety Crime & Justice Courts