We need a final and unappealable judgment.

The trial regarding the attempted coup against the Democratic Rule of Law is a legacy of Brazilian justice. Every vote, every argument, and especially the conviction of those responsible, is a legacy for the country. 

Appeals will be filed to clarify doubts or even reject the conviction, but the merits of the case have already been decided. The pace, the indictment, the confessions and testimonies, the interactions between prosecution and defense, the abundant evidence accompanying the case files and images provided, and, above all, the votes cast over days and hours, constitute an extraordinary body of democratic self-defense.

In this sense, it seems absurd for someone from the democratic camp to consider the possibility of amnesty. To grant amnesty, in the sense of erasing crimes and conduct, is a contradiction in terms. As lawyer Pedro Serrano argues in his thesis on the misuse of legislative power, amnesty proposals that aim for this erasure are an affront to the Judiciary and to the fundamental clauses of the Constitution that prohibit regression. The political opposition in Congress intends, as a magic solution, that the legislature can replace the judgment of justice. Clearly, the purpose and motivations of the proposals underway are incompatible with the meaning of the Legislative Branch, and their proponents are investing in conflict between branches of government. 

Flirting with this possibility ignores the high price we pay for the lack of revision of Law 6.683 of 1979, an authoritarian relic that undeniably contributed to the new coup attempt in 2023. Comparing past and present amnesty processes only serves to strengthen the repudiation.

On the eve of an election year, legal issues are the focus of attention. Social and popular movements believe the country should be moving forward on other issues, and it's a shame that the trial continues to monopolize public debate. Brazil would do well to turn the page and address other matters, such as employment and income, ending the 6x1 work schedule, and tax reform with social justice. 

With all due respect to legal professionals, we primarily need economists, engineers, doctors, and ecologists to build the future, and historians to prevent forgetting. Urgently, we need artists, because our souls are ailing. But we are bound to the extraordinary process of accountability, and together, we need to reach a final judgment.