Brazil’s Congress on Thursday overturned President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s veto of a law that significantly reduces the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro, marking a major political defeat for Lula.
Bolsonaro, 71, was sentenced last year to 27 years in prison for allegedly plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election to Lula. The leftist president had attempted to block legislative efforts by Congress to reduce the sentence to just over two years.
However, following a heated parliamentary session marked by shouting and interruptions from both sides, lawmakers voted to override the veto. The decision focused on changes to how prison sentences are calculated, effectively reducing Bolsonaro’s time in custody.
The opposition secured a decisive majority, with 318 votes to 144 in the Chamber of Deputies and 49 to 24 in the Senate. The outcome was celebrated by several lawmakers, who chanted “freedom” and praised Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son and a senator, who is running for president.
Flávio Bolsonaro welcomed the decision, calling it a “very special birthday present” in a post on X.
The vote represents another setback for Lula, coming just a day after the Senate rejected his nominee for the Supreme Court, Jorge Messias.
