Bolsonaro guilty of coup attempt Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, 70, has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being found guilty of plotting a military coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election ABRIDGED TIMELINE Bolsonaro, aka Trump of the Tropics, shares uncanny similarities with U.S. president Jul 22, 2018: Former congressman Bolsonaro announces he’s running for president Sep 6: Stabbed in stomach at campaign rally and hospitalised for three weeks Oct 28: Wins election, beating Fernando Haddad Jan 1, 2019: Sworn into office and promptly strips away LGBTQ civil rights and allows indigenous lands to be developed Jan 28, Sep 8: Undergoes two further surgeries related to stabbing Jul 7, 2020: Tests positive for Covid-19, following months of downplaying virus and refusing to wear face mask Oct 30, 2022: Narrowly loses bid for second term in office against Lula da Silva Dec 30: Arrives in Florida for extended stay and further medical treatment Jan 1, 2023: Lula da Silva assumes office Jan 8: Hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters storm capital Brasilia, trashing government buildings Jan 13: Investigations begin into Bolsonaro’s alleged involvement in Jan 8 insurrection Mar 30: Bolsonaro returns to Brazil Aug 17: Hacker Walter Delgatti Neto testifies that in Aug 2022, Bolsonaro asked him if he could hack voting machines Feb 8, 2024: Police make arrests in probe of alleged coup d’état attempt to keep Bolsonaro in power Feb 18, 2025: Charged in relation to coup and for allegedly approving plot to kill Lula da Silva Apr 14: Undergoes 12-hour abdominal surgery May 19: Trial against Bolsonaro and 80 other officials begins Jul 18: Police order him to wear electronic ankle tag Aug 1: President Trump hits Brazil with 50% tariffs in retaliation for Bolsonaro “witch hunt” Sep 11: Justices sentence Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison Sources: Reuters, BBC, CNN Pictures: Getty Images, Creative Commons © GRAPHIC NEWS