Prison Surprise: Brazil's FormerPresident Bolsonaro Faces Life Behind Bars

He battled the legal system and the legal system won.

Two months subsequent to getting a 27-year sentence for trying to “eradicate” the nation's political system, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro at last appears jail-bound.

Anticipated Imprisonment

The found-guilty coup-monger – who has been under house arrest in his estate while a series of legal procedures and appeals unfold – is broadly anticipated to be jailed in the near future, amidst increasing speculation that he will be transferred to a infamous high-security facility.

Previous Comments on Prisoners

During Bolsonaro’s long time in politics, the conservative ex- soldier showed little mercy for Brazil’s jailed individuals.

“Why should we give those lowlifes a comfortable existence?” he previously wondered. “They deserve to be screwed, end of story. That's my opinion.”

On another occasion, Bolsonaro proclaimed: “Should you not wish to end up there, you simply need is not rape, kidnap or rob.”

Jail Destination Debate

But the prospect of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda top-security prison in Brasília has shocked supporters, a group of four this week visited the prison in an apparent bid to dissuade the high court from sending him there.

The senator, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s political party who was one of the visitors, said he predicted the 70-year-old figure to be imprisoned in the coming fortnight and was concerned his assigned prison could be Papuda.

The senator argued Bolsonaro’s severe digestive problems – the outcome of a almost deadly stabbing during the 2018 presidential political campaign – meant it would be risky to keep the former president there. “His health is highly critical. He won’t be able to handle it if they take him to Papuda … It will be dreadful,” he commented, who also voiced anxiety about overcrowded cells and the quality of inmate food.

When inspecting Papuda, Lucas recalled seeing cells holding forty prisoners: “It's virtually one square metre per detainee.

“We spoke to the convicts and they complain, of course, of the horrible food,” remarked the senator.

Supporters Speak Out

He is not the only voice expressing views before the one-time head of state's expected incarceration.

Writing in a major publication, another ally, the former cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “brutal” finale to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” public service and asserted Brazil was about to see “the largest unfairness in its record”.

“This is an unfairness that gnaws the spirits of millions Brazilian citizens,” he stated.

Divided General Response

This could be accurate given the considerable support Bolsonaro holds on the conservative side. Yet his anticipated imprisonment has also pleased the spirits of millions other people who think he should be incarcerated for plotting to prevent the elected leader from taking power – and even plotting to have him assassinated.

Reimont Otoni, a congressman for the sitting leader's allied group, commented: “No one wants Bolsonaro to be put in a dungeon. Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be sent in segregation. Not a soul desires Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We desire him to obtain respectful handling – but respectful treatment in prison. He can’t continue being his personal jailer for his whole life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro supporters, who have spent years celebrating the tough conditions of inmates, had abruptly become aware to their rights. “Only now has the conservative fringe – which has always argued that basic rights were not for criminals – chosen to inspect a jail to learn what situations are truly like,” he said.

“The former president is a criminal,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he deserved “shameful, degrading conduct”.

Likely Incarceration Facilities

In spite of rumors that Bolsonaro could be transferred to Papuda, which now contains about thousands of inmates, his probable destination seems to be a adjacent jail for police officers and other “particular” detainees referred to as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

His potential cell are far more comfortable than those in the primary facility, although still a world away from the comfort Bolsonaro had while residing in the impressive official residence, around 20 kilometers away.

According to information, the room Bolsonaro could expect to inhabit in Papudinha is about 24 square meters – approximately the size of a couple of car spots – and includes a 130 square foot restroom with a shower and a 12 square meter balcony. “Bolsonaro would be allowed to have a set and also a minibar in his cell as long as they were provided by his loved ones,” information suggested.

Partisan Comments

Senator Lucas criticized the speculated proposal to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “a type of payback” on the part of the judicial authority who presided over Bolsonaro’s legal case and will rule on his future in the {

Brent Klein
Brent Klein

Digital strategist with over a decade of experience in helping startups scale through innovative marketing techniques.