Bolsonaro Aide's Phone Contains Plans for Military Coup, Police Say

A former aide of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro sought legal advice for a military intervention to prevent the handover of power following the 2020 election, according to federal police. Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, who is under arrest over allegations that he faked Bolsonaro's COVID-19 vaccination card, had gathered documents and researched the possibility of using the armed forces to ensure the independent and harmonious functioning of the Powers of the Union. The material found on Cid's phone adds to evidence that members of Bolsonaro's inner circle were looking at ways to block President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office and strip the powers of Brazil's top federal courts.