Accused by the Attorney General's Office, Bolsonaro is betting on a 'giant rally' for amnesty for the 8/1 coup plotters.
Former president organizes demonstration with support from influencers and allies, while facing accusations from the Attorney General's Office for attempted coup d'état.
247 - Jair Bolsonaro expects to attract 1 million people to the protests scheduled for March 16 in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. The estimate was shared with an audience of supporters during a PL communication seminar, held this Thursday (20), in Brasília. The focus of the demonstrations will be the defense of amnesty for those convicted for the coup acts of January 8.
During the event, Bolsonaro stated that he will give a speech in Copacabana and that the event will also include speeches by former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and Pastor Silas Malafaia. "I appeal to you, many influencers here, March 16th, Sunday, 10 am, 1 million in Copacabana," he declared. The projected audience of 1 million was one of the central themes of the seminar, according to... Estadão Column, from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo.
The PL event, scheduled weeks ago, takes place two days after Bolsonaro was indicted by the Attorney General's Office (PGR) before the Supreme Federal Court (STF), accused of attempting a coup d'état, with the aim of preventing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) from taking office and remaining in power after the 2022 elections.
Bolsonaro also revealed that he had "convinced" Congressman Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) to participate in the protest in Rio. "The kid has a huge future ahead of him and is behaving well," declared the former president, highlighting the congressman as an example of success in communication strategy. Thursday's seminar aimed to amplify the "Nikolas effect," after a video of the pro-Bolsonaro congressman went viral on social media, prompting the government to back down on changes to the Federal Revenue Service's monitoring of Pix (Brazil's instant payment system).
Recently, Bolsonaro forbade allies and supporters from using the slogan "impeachment now" in the protests, which will also be held in other cities across the country. Organizers argue that the demonstration aims to damage President Lula's image, focusing primarily on his economic management, with the goal of gaining electoral advantages in 2026.
