Jailhouse Surprise: The Ex-President Bolsonaro Confronts Time Behind Bars

He fought the law and the legal system prevailed.

A couple of months after getting a twenty-seven-year sentence for seeking to “destroy” the nation's political system, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro now appears destined for incarceration.

Imminent Imprisonment

The adjudicated plotter – who has been living under home confinement in his estate while a series of court processes and appeals unfold – is broadly anticipated to be jailed in the near future, amidst increasing rumors that he will be sent to a notorious maximum security prison.

Historical Comments on Prisoners

During Bolsonaro’s four-decade political career, the far-right former paratrooper exhibited scant mercy for the country's inmates.

“What’s the need to offer those lowlifes a good life?” he once mused. “They deserve to be messed, full-fucking-stop. That's my opinion.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro stated: “Should you not wish to end up in prison, you simply need is to avoid sexual assault, kidnap or theft.”

Incarceration Location Discussion

Yet the prospect of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda prison top-security prison in Brasília has horrified backers, four of whom this week inspected the prison in an obvious effort to discourage the judiciary from banishing him there.

Izalci Lucas, a politician from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was part of that quartet, stated he predicted the 70-year-old figure to be incarcerated in the coming fortnight and feared his location could be Papuda.

The senator argued Bolsonaro’s acute gut problems – the result of a life-threatening assault during the last presidential campaign – signified it would be hazardous to keep the former president there. “His condition is very grave. He will not be able to handle it if they move him to Papuda … It could be awful,” he commented, who also worried about packed cells and the quality of prison meals.

During his tour Papuda, Lucas recalled observing cells accommodating 40 inmates: “That’s almost one meter squared per prisoner.

“We talked to the inmates and they grumble, of course, of the awful cuisine,” continued the senator.

Allies Speak Out

Lucas is not the sole person speaking out before the one-time head of state's predicted detention.

Writing in a leading daily, a different supporter, the former communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, deplored the “severe” end to Bolsonaro’s “spotless” public service and alleged Brazil was about to witness “the greatest political injustice in its history”.

“This is an injustice that eats away the spirits of many Brazilian citizens,” Wajngarten wrote.

Mixed Public Response

It is possibly accurate due to the considerable following Bolsonaro retains on the conservative side. But his predicted incarceration has also warmed the feelings of millions other people who believe he deserves to be jailed for conspiring to block the elected leader from assuming office – and additionally plotting to have him murdered.

Congressman Otoni, a politician for the current leader's Workers’ party, stated: “Nobody wants Bolsonaro to be sent in a dark cell. Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be placed in solitary confinement. Nobody desires Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We desire him to get proper care – but respectful handling in prison. He cannot carry on being his own prison warden for his whole life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro supporters, who have long celebrating the severe conditions of convicts, had suddenly woken up to their entitlements. “Just now has the extreme right – which has always argued that human rights were not for lawbreakers – chosen to inspect a penitentiary to find out what circumstances are really like,” he said.

“He is a lawbreaker,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he deserved “humiliating, insulting handling”.

Possible Prison Facilities

In spite of speculation that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which currently holds about 14,000 inmates, his expected destination looks to be a nearby penitentiary for law enforcement and other “special” detainees known as Papudinha (Small Papuda).

His potential cell are far more pleasant than those in the larger jail, although still a distant from the luxury Bolsonaro enjoyed while residing in the impressive leader's home, approximately 12 miles away.

As per reports, the accommodation Bolsonaro could expect to occupy in Papudinha measures about 24 sq metres – about the dimensions of a couple of car spots – and features a 12 sq metre bathroom with a water facility and a 12 square meter terrace. “The ex-president might be allowed to have a set and also a cooler in his room as long as they were provided by his family,” information stated.

Ideological Responses

Senator Lucas criticized the talked-about proposal to send the former leader to Papuda as “a type of payback” on the part of the presiding magistrate who led Bolsonaro’s coup trial and will rule on his future in the {

Courtney Castro
Courtney Castro

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