Brazil Congress Overrides Lula Veto, Reduces Sentences for Bolsonaro Supporters Convicted in Coup Attempt

Brazil's congress overrode President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's veto on Thursday, approving a bill that reduces the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted last year of attempting a coup. The lower house overturned the veto with 318 votes, exceeding the required 257, while the senate followed with 49 votes, surpassing the needed 41.

The bill, initially passed by congress in December, was vetoed by Lula in January.

If confirmed by a supreme court justice, Bolsonaro's sentence would fall from 27 years and three months to 22 years and one month. Time served in a closed regime could drop from between four and six years to between two and four years, allowing Bolsonaro to move to an open regime as early as 2028. Bolsonaro remains under house arrest, a status granted in March due to ill health.

The new law reduces sentences for about 280 others convicted over the attempted coup to overturn the result of the 2022 election, when Bolsonaro was defeated by Lula. He was sentenced to 27 years in jail last year for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 elections to Lula, who was sworn in on 1 January 2023.

In January, Lula stated that reducing sentences for an attempted coup would encourage similar crimes in the future. The veto override marked a second blow to Lula in less than 24 hours. On Wednesday night, the senate rejected Lula's nominee Jorge Messias to the supreme court, the first such rejection since 1894.

Messias is the government’s current solicitor general. 9% of the population.