Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Thursday he would veto a bill passed by Congress that could slash the jail term of former president Jair Bolsonaro, imprisoned over a failed coup bid.
Brazil’s Senate on Wednesday approved the bill which now heads to Lula, who acknowledged his veto could eventually be overridden by Congress.
“When it reaches my desk, I will veto it. That’s no secret to anyone,” Lula told a press conference.
However, in Brazil, Congress has the last word and can reject the veto.
“I have the right to veto, and then they have the right to overturn my veto or not. That’s the game,” said Lula.
Bolsonaro, 70, began a 27-year prison sentence in November, and under current rules was expected to serve at least eight years behind bars before becoming eligible for a looser regime.
The new legislation, which changes how sentences are calculated for certain crimes, could, however, see Bolsonaro serve a little over two years in prison.
Bolsonaro was convicted over a scheme to stop Lula from taking office after his razor-thin loss in a bitter 2022 election that highlighted stark political divisions in Brazil.
The plot allegedly involved a plan to assassinate Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes.
Prosecutors said the scheme failed because of a lack of support from military top brass.
The bill is specifically aimed at benefiting those convicted as part of the coup plot, as well as more than 100 Bolsonaro supporters who were imprisoned for their role in January 2023 riots against the seats of government in Brasilia, shortly after Lula took office.
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