Jailhouse Surprise: Brazil's Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro Confronts Life in Prison

He contested the law and justice won.

Sixty days following getting a 27-year sentence for seeking to “eradicate” the nation's democracy, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro now appears jail-bound.

Imminent Imprisonment

The found-guilty coup-monger – who had been under residential detention in his estate while a series of judicial steps and appeals play out – is largely predicted to be imprisoned in the next few days, amidst mounting speculation that he will be sent to a well-known maximum security facility.

Historical Comments on Convicts

During Bolsonaro’s 40-year time in politics, the conservative ex- paratrooper displayed scant sympathy for Brazil’s inmates.

“Why should we provide those lowlifes a good life?” he previously wondered. “They should just get fucked, full-fucking-stop. That’s what I reckon.”

At another time, Bolsonaro stated: “If you don’t want to wind up there, all you have to do is to avoid sexual assault, abduction or rob.”

Incarceration Location Discussion

Yet the prospect of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda maximum security prison in Brasília has horrified allies, several of whom this week visited the complex in an apparent attempt to dissuade the supreme court from banishing him there.

Izalci Lucas, a politician from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was one of the visitors, said he anticipated the septuagenarian leader to be incarcerated in the following week and a half and worried his assigned prison could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s acute gut ailments – the outcome of a almost deadly assault during the 2018 presidential campaign – signified it would be dangerous to keep the former president there. “His health is highly critical. He won’t be able to cope if they take him to Papuda … It could be terrible,” he commented, who also voiced anxiety about packed cells and the standard of inmate food.

When inspecting Papuda, Lucas remembered observing cells containing 40 prisoners: “That’s almost one meter squared per inmate.

“We talked to the inmates and they protest, unsurprisingly, of the terrible cuisine,” remarked the senator.

Supporters Speak Out

The senator isn't the only voice voicing opinions before the former president’s expected incarceration.

Writing in a major daily, another ally, the ex- cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, deplored the “harsh” conclusion to Bolsonaro’s “flawless” public service and alleged Brazil was about to witness “the largest unfairness in its history”.

“It is an injustice that gnaws the souls of countless of Brazilians,” he stated.

Varied Popular Response

That may be accurate due to the considerable following Bolsonaro retains on the right-wing. However his predicted incarceration has also gladdened the feelings of millions other people who feel he deserves to be incarcerated for conspiring to prevent his successor from taking power – and additionally conspiring to have him murdered.

Congressman Otoni, a representative for the incumbent leader's political party, commented: “Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be sent in a hole. Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro to be placed in solitary confinement. Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to lie on concrete. We want him to obtain respectful treatment – but proper treatment in prison. He cannot continue being his personal jailer for his whole life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro supporters, who have spent years applauding the tough treatment of convicts, had suddenly become aware to their privileges. “Recently has the far-right – which has repeatedly claimed that human rights are not for criminals – opted to tour a prison to learn what conditions are truly like,” he stated.

“The former president is a offender,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he deserved “humiliating, demeaning conduct”.

Likely Incarceration Facilities

Regardless of talk that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which currently contains about fourteen thousand inmates, his more likely destination appears to be a adjacent penitentiary for law enforcement and other “unique” prisoners known as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

Its cells are far more comfortable than those in the primary facility, although nevertheless a far cry from the opulence Bolsonaro enjoyed while occupying the stunning official residence, approximately 20 kilometers away.

As per reports, the cell Bolsonaro could anticipate inhabit in Papudinha has about 260 square feet – about the dimensions of vehicle spaces – and includes a 12 sq metre restroom with a water facility and a 12 sq metre terrace. “The ex-president might be authorized to have a set and additionally a minibar in his quarters as long as they were provided by his loved ones,” sources suggested.

Political Reactions

The lawmaker condemned the talked-about proposal to send the ex-president to Papuda as “a form of payback” on the part of the supreme court judge who oversaw Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will rule on his future in the {

Kathryn Campbell
Kathryn Campbell

A passionate gamer and tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in game journalism and community building.