Reserve general Mário Fernandes (photo), one of those arrested in Operation Countercoup, by the Federal Police, stated that former president Jair Bolsonaro gave approval for a coup plan until December 31, 2022.
The conversation appears in the intelligence report of the operation, launched this Tuesday (19) to arrest five soldiers who intended to prevent the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin, elected in October 2022.
In the audio sent to Mauro Cid, Fernandes told Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp that the former president had told him that the “action” could take place until the last day of his term.
“Cid, good night. My friend, first of all I’m sorry for bothering you so much today. But damn, we can’t miss this opportunity. It’s two things. The first, during the conversation I had with the president, he mentioned that the 12th, due to the vagabond’s diploma, would not be a restriction, that this can happen, that any action we take can happen until December 31st and everything. But damn, right then I said, come on, president, but as soon as possible, we’ve already lost so many opportunities”, said Fernandes.
During the Bolsonaro government, the general occupied the position of executive secretary of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic and was responsible, according to the PF, for preparing the word file entitled “Punhal Verde e Amarelo”, with planning “aimed at kidnapping or murder” by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), and by Lula and Alckmin.
According to the PF, the document was printed at Palácio do Planalto and taken to Palácio da Alvorada, official residence of Jair Bolsonaro. The former president is not mentioned in the case as being investigated.
“The investigation, through evidentiary procedures, identified that the document containing the operational planning called Punhal Verde Amarelo was printed by the investigated Mário Fernandes at the Palácio do Planalto, on 11/09/2022 and, subsequently, taken to the Palácio do Alvorada, location residence of the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro”, added the PF.
Other side
Former president Jair Bolsonaro did not comment on the Federal Police operation. Via social media, senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) declared that “thinking about killing someone is not a crime.”
“As much as it is repugnant to think about killing someone, it is not a crime. And for there to be an attempt, its execution must be interrupted by some situation beyond the control of the agents. Which does not seem to have happened. I am the author of the bill 2109/2023, which criminalizes preparatory acts for a crime that involves injury or death to 3 or more people, as today this is simply not a crime”, judicial decisions without legal support are repugnant and undemocratic”, declared.
THE Brazil Agency he was unable to contact the defense of reserve general Mário Fernandes. The space is open for manifestation.
