Prison Shock: The Ex-President Bolsonaro Faces Life Behind Bars

He fought the law and the legal system triumphed.

A couple of months following getting a quarter-century plus sentence for seeking to “destroy” Brazil’s democratic institutions, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro now seems destined for incarceration.

Anticipated Incarceration

The found-guilty plotter – who had been living under house arrest in his residence while a series of court processes and petitions play out – is largely predicted to be imprisoned in the coming days, amidst increasing rumors that he will be transferred to a well-known maximum security facility.

Previous Remarks on Prisoners

Over Bolsonaro’s four-decade public life, the conservative ex- soldier showed scant sympathy for Brazil’s prison population.

“For what reason must we give these dirtbags a good life?” he once mused. “They deserve to be fucked, end of story. That's my opinion.”

On another occasion, Bolsonaro declared: “If you don’t want to end up in prison, the only thing required is to avoid rape, kidnap or rob.”

Prison Location Debate

But the prospect of Bolsonaro himself winding up in the Papuda prison top-security prison in Brasília has shocked backers, a group of four this week toured the facility in an seeming bid to dissuade the supreme court from transferring him there.

The senator, a politician from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was one of the visitors, claimed he predicted the 70-year-old figure to be incarcerated in the coming fortnight and feared his location could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s severe digestive ailments – the result of a near-fatal stabbing during the 2018 election race – signified it would be hazardous to keep the one-time head of state there. “His [health] situation is very grave. He will not be able to handle it if they move him to Papuda … It will be dreadful,” he added, who also worried about packed cells and the condition of jail cuisine.

When inspecting Papuda, Lucas remembered observing cells containing forty inmates: “That’s almost one meter squared per prisoner.

“We spoke to the inmates and they complain, naturally, of the awful meals,” continued the senator.

Supporters Voice Concerns

Lucas is not the only voice voicing opinions prior to the one-time head of state's predicted incarceration.

Writing in a major daily, one more backer, the former government official Fábio Wajngarten, deplored the “brutal” conclusion to Bolsonaro’s “spotless” public service and claimed Brazil was about to see “the biggest political injustice in its history”.

“It represents an unfairness that erodes the hearts of countless people in Brazil,” the former minister said.

Varied Public Response

That may be correct given the substantial backing Bolsonaro holds on the Brazilian right. Yet his predicted incarceration has also pleased the spirits of numerous others who believe he deserves to be jailed for conspiring to prevent the incoming president from taking power – and also conspiring to have him murdered.

Congressman Otoni, a politician for the sitting president's allied group, stated: “Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro to be placed in a hole. Nobody wants Bolsonaro to be sent in segregation. Nobody wishes Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to rest on hard ground. We desire him to obtain dignified treatment – but proper handling in prison. He can’t carry on being his own prison warden for his lifetime.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro allies, who have for a long time celebrating the tough handling of inmates, had unexpectedly become aware to their privileges. “Recently has the conservative fringe – which has consistently claimed that basic rights are not for criminals – opted to visit a jail to find out what conditions are really like,” he stated.

“Bolsonaro is a lawbreaker,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he deserved “degrading, degrading treatment”.

Likely Prison Environment

In spite of rumors that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which now houses about 14,000 detainees, his expected location looks to be a nearby prison for law enforcement and other “unique” prisoners called Papudinha (Little Papuda).

The accommodations are much more adequate than those in the larger jail, although still a distant from the opulence Bolsonaro enjoyed while residing in the stunning presidential palace, about 20 kilometers away.

As per information, the cell Bolsonaro could expect to occupy in Papudinha has about 260 square feet – about the area of two parking spaces – and includes a 12 sq metre restroom with a bathing area and a 12 sq metre terrace. “The ex-president might be allowed to have a TV and additionally a minibar in his quarters as long as they were supplied by his relatives,” the report stated.

Partisan Comments

Senator Lucas criticized the talked-about proposal to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “an act of payback” on the part of the presiding magistrate who oversaw Bolsonaro’s coup trial and will determine his future in the {

Maria Barrera
Maria Barrera

Periodista especializada en tecnología y futurismo, con más de una década de experiencia cubriendo avances innovadores.