No amnesty, no pardon!

This Tuesday, while the nation's eyes are glued to the trial regarding the first part of PET 12.100, many other trials will be unfolding historically in that courtroom of the Supreme Federal Court.

There is no way to look at the scenario in which names like Captain Jair Bolsonaro; General Augusto Heleno; General Walter Braga Netto; General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira; Admiral Almir Garnier; Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid... will inevitably become a link With the upcoming date of March 31st, with 2016, which brought us so much pain and regression, and with all the threats that have always hung over our heads during the democratic hiatus we experienced between one coup and another.

There's no way to ignore the parade of evidence, the description of sordid facts and plans. Always involving death, terror, and fear. Enough fear, that's what we need to tell ourselves. Either we set the record straight now, with honesty and dignity, or we will remain on our knees until the next twist. Enough is enough.

Given the importance of what will happen there, Supreme Court Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, who does not belong to the First Chamber – composed of: Cristiano Zanin; Luiz Fux; Flávio Dino; Cármen Lúcia and Alexandre de Moraes – but who presides over the court, will “drop by” there, he promised. It's impossible to remain indifferent to such a historic moment.

The other justices who make up the Supreme Federal Court (STF): Edson Fachin, Dias Toffoli, Nunes Marques, André Mendonça, and the senior justice Gilmar Mendes will be closely following the proceedings. onlineThe defendants are given the prerogative of not being present. If they were to attend, they should be: dressed in olive-green uniform, with a beige tie, attire corresponding to formal wear for civilians. Those in the reserves would wear suits.

The session will follow the procedure outlined in the internal regulations of the Supreme Federal Court:

1. The session was opened by the president.
2. Reading of the report by the rapporteur.
3. Oral argument by the Attorney General for 30 minutes.
4. Oral arguments by the defense (8 defendants, 15 minutes each – order determined by the presiding judge).
5. The rapporteur's vote on the preliminary matters.
6. Votes of the other justices on preliminary matters (order: Dino, Fux, Cármen and Zanin; president).
7. The rapporteur's vote on the merits of the complaint.
8. Votes of the other justices on the merits (order: Dino, Fux, Cármen and Zanin; president).

Maneuvers, trickery, and other tactics are expected from the defense, which, faced with the abundance of evidence, will have few resources to try to alleviate the situation for their clients. Rumors circulating in Brasília suggest that the ministers will not let this go easily. The score is expected to be 5-0. Since I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas, I prefer to wait and see, although I believe that, given the well-founded decision of prosecutor Paulo Gonet, there will be no alternative but to formally indict the eight accused.

Among the mountain of evidence, there is a true gem, irrefutable: the meeting of June 5, 2022.

There, each character in the coup plot had their revealing speech. Paulo Sérgio stated that it was necessary to advance with the artillery to the front line before the election (in October, which would give Lula the victory); Augusto Heleno declared, loud and clear, that it was necessary to "turn the tables" before the election, because afterwards it would be of little use (anticipating Lula's victory). And Bolsonaro, whom we all saw, witnessed, and know! He also demonstrated his eagerness to get straight to what "should" be done.

All of this, inside the Palácio do Planalto! The public space from where those elected preside over us democratically, in accordance with the Constitution. We saw it, we witnessed it, we know it!

Those who were there, or those who contributed to camps, terrorist projects, and radical demonstrations, were fully aware of what they were doing. They had a choice: to accept the results of the election or to attack democracy. They opted for the illegal, illegitimate path of violence against an entire country and its will as expressed at the ballot box.

Perhaps because this generation lacks a comparative memory between the before – the dictatorship – and the after, the uncommitted democracy that demanded no struggle, no courage, no action from them, they also lack a sense of danger, an understanding of the magnitude of the loss of freedom, the slide into oppression.

Therefore, sentences according to the Code of Criminal Procedure, which added up to 14 years, cause perplexity. They shouldn't. Because if they had a complete understanding of the consequences and risks, they would know that the death of democracy would be the death of all of us, little by little, through arbitrariness. And for the very young who don't know what arbitrariness is, I can translate: torture, death, disappearance, actions of the State outside of any law.

So let the law prevail this Tuesday, March 25th. The historic cleansing of the authoritarian debris. The full restoration of the rule of law.