General Paulo Sérgio's defense places Bolsonaro at the epicenter of the coup and infuriates the far right.
The defense of the former Minister of Defense alleges that he tried to dissuade Bolsonaro from taking exceptional measures, acknowledging the coup plot.
247 - The defense of General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, former Minister of Defense, surprised ministers of the First Panel of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) by placing Jair Bolsonaro (PL) at the center of the attempted coup d'état after his defeat in the 2022 elections. According to information from journalist Andréia Sadi, from [source missing]. g1The theory defended by the general's lawyer in court is that Paulo Sérgio tried to dissuade Bolsonaro from taking exceptional measures, such as an attempted coup. The move angered allies of the former president.
The defense's arguments were detailed and emphatic, as revealed by Supreme Court justices. During the trial, an intervention by Justice Cármen Lúcia, who questioned the meaning of "removing Bolsonaro," made clear the connection between the former president and a possible coup attempt. The Justice highlighted the impact of the words of the general's lawyer, who directly linked Bolsonaro's name to these allegations, something that the former president and other defendants in the central core of the investigation had denied until the moment of the trial.
This approach generated strong repercussions, mainly among Bolsonaro's allies and his lawyers. Fábio Wajngarten, former head of the Social Communication Secretariat, was one of those who reacted vehemently. He made a post criticizing the theory defended by Paulo Sérgio's defense, accusing a "group that lived in constant back-and-forth with the president" of creating "conspiracy theories" to maintain their relevance.
Behind the scenes, other lawyers were also furious, considering that Paulo Sérgio's strategy could complicate Bolsonaro's situation at a crucial moment in the trial, possibly hindering his defense.
On the other hand, some Supreme Court justices assess the situation of Paulo Sérgio and Augusto Heleno, former Minister of the Institutional Security Office (GSI), differently compared to the other defendants.
Although they acknowledge that it is unlikely that the two were unaware of what was happening behind the scenes, there is an analysis of the scarcity of information that could directly link them to the coup plot.
Regarding Heleno, a possible disagreement arises from the moment he disappeared after a meeting in which he allegedly mentioned the idea of "turning the tables." As for General Paulo Sérgio, commanders of the Armed Forces, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force, suggest that he met with the objective of preventing the coup.
