Coup plot: Moraes opens deadline for final arguments from black kids

Agency Brazil - Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has opened a period for the prosecution and defense to present their final arguments in the criminal case targeting the so-called "Nucleus 3" of a coup plot aimed at keeping former President Jair Bolsonaro illegally in power. 

The group consists of a federal police officer and nine military personnel who allegedly participated in planning operations to carry out the coup; all are current or former members of the Army's Special Forces, whose members are known as "black kids," a reference to their traditional uniform with a black beret. 

All are charged with five crimes: armed criminal organization, coup d'état, attempted violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law, qualified damage and deterioration of listed heritage. 

According to the complaint filed by the Attorney General's Office (PGR), the members of this group were allegedly responsible for carrying out coup plots, including the "Green and Yellow Dagger" plan, which, according to the accusation, aimed to assassinate Moraes himself in November 2022, along with then-President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin. 

The closing arguments phase is one of the last steps before the final judgment in a criminal case. Upon notifying the prosecution and defense, Moraes declared the procedural investigation of the case closed. This means that all testimonies have been given and all evidence has been produced. 

In the closing arguments, both the prosecution and the defense have the opportunity to present their final versions of the facts investigated. The legal deadline is 15 days for the prosecution, followed by another 15 days for the defense. 

After this stage, Moraes, as rapporteur, will be responsible for drafting his vote and releasing the case for judgment by the First Panel, composed of five justices: in addition to the rapporteur himself, Cristiano Zanin, Luiz Fux, Cármen Lúcia, and Flávio Dino. Once the criminal case is released, there is no set deadline for scheduling a trial. 

Find out who the defendants in Nucleus 3 are: 

Bernardo Romão Correa Netto (colonel);

Estevam Theophilo (general);

Fabrício Moreira de Bastos (colonel);

Hélio Ferreira (lieutenant colonel);

Marcio Nunes de Resende Junior (colonel);

Rafael Martins de Oliveira (lieutenant colonel);

Rodrigo Bezerra de Azevedo (lieutenant colonel);

Ronald Ferreira de Araújo Junior (lieutenant colonel);

Sergio Ricardo Cavaliere de Medeiros (lieutenant colonel);

Wladimir Matos Soares (federal police officer).