Bolsonaro is currently waiting for a Supreme Court ruling next month about an alleged coup attempt and he might face another case as police formally accused him and one of his sons of obstruction of justice in connection with his pending trial.
The AP had access to the police investigation and reviewed the documents, which were sent to Brazil’s Supreme Court. The Argentine government did not respond to a request for comment from the AP.
Silas Malafaia, an evangelical pastor who is a staunch ally of Bolsonaro’s, was also targeted by police. He had his passport seized by investigators but was not formally accused of obstruction of justice.
Brazilian federal police investigators said in a 170-page report that Bolsonaro had a draft of a request for political asylum from Argentine President Javier Milei’s government dated February 10, 2024.
The former president saved the document two days after authorities searched his home and office as part of an investigation into an alleged coup plot.
In a 33-page letter addressed to Milei, Bolsonaro claimed he was being politically persecuted in Brazil.
“I, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, request political asylum from Your Excellency in the Republic of Argentina, under an urgent regime, as I find myself in a situation of political persecution in Brazil and fear for my life,” the Brazilian leader wrote.
On February 12, Bolsonaro reportedly spent two nights at the Hungarian Embassy in Brasília, fueling speculation among critics that he may have been attempting to avoid arrest.
Brazilian federal police investigators also said in their report that Bolsonaro’s decision to ignore precautionary measures established for his house arrest and spread content to his allies “sought to directly hit Brazilian democratic institutions, notably the Supreme Court and even Brazil’s Congress.”
Prompt
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