Key facts
- Former Brazilian Air Force chief Carlos de Almeida Baptista Júnior details in a new book how he refused to participate in a draft decree to invalidate the 2022 election results.
- The draft decree was presented by Defense Minister Gen Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira to military commanders, aiming to keep Jair Bolsonaro in power after his election loss.
- Baptista Júnior's refusal, along with that of Army Commander Gen Marco Antônio Freire Gomes, was crucial in preventing the coup plot from advancing.
- The navy commander, Adm Almir Garnier Santos, and Nogueira were convicted for their involvement.
- Baptista Júnior stated that his actions led to the loss of friendships and resulted in him being called a traitor by some military personnel.
- The book aims to prevent history from repeating itself and address public disbelief about the attempted coup.
Former Brazilian Air Force chief Carlos de Almeida Baptista Júnior has detailed his role in thwarting an attempted coup by then-President Jair Bolsonaro in a new book. Six weeks after losing the 2022 election, Bolsonaro summoned military leaders and presented a draft decree to invalidate the results and remain in power. Baptista Júnior refused to accept the document, stating the air force would not participate, a decision that, along with a similar refusal from the army commander, Gen Marco Antônio Freire Gomes, ultimately prevented the plot from advancing.
In his book, 'I Said No! – An Anti-Coup Bulwark,' Baptista Júnior, 65, provides a first-hand account of Bolsonaro's efforts to cling to power, motivated by the fact that a significant portion of the population still doubts that an attempted coup occurred. He describes Bolsonaro as having "significant limitations in political, institutional and administrative experience" and being "almost total imperviousness to outside opinions." Baptista Júnior noted that his refusal to participate in the coup cost him many friendships and led to him being labeled a "traitor" by some.
While the navy commander, Adm Almir Garnier Santos, and Defense Minister Nogueira were convicted and are serving sentences, Freire Gomes has remained low-profile. The book also touches upon a plan for the army special forces to kidnap or assassinate Lula, the vice-president, and a supreme court justice, which Baptista Júnior learned about through the press. He recounts over a dozen meetings where Bolsonaro discussed ways to stay in power, including one instance where the army chief reportedly told Bolsonaro he would have to arrest him if he pursued an "institutional rupture."
Juliano da Silva Cortinhas, who heads a security research group at the University of Brasília, commented that while it was positive for high-ranking officers to refuse the coup, they should have reported it to the police. Cortinhas expressed concern that external factors, such as US President Donald Trump's influence on elections, could embolden coup-supporting groups within Brazil's armed forces, especially if Lula is re-elected and Trump refuses to recognize the result.