Who Is President Jair Bolsonaro, And Why Was He Sentenced To 27 Years In Prison

Jair Bolsonaro: Jair Bolsonaro, born on March 21, 1955, is a former Brazilian president and ex-army captain whose political rise was shaped by right-wing nationalism, law-and-order rhetoric and outspoken admiration for Brazil’s 1964–1985 military regime. He entered the presidency in 2019 riding a wave of antiestablishment anger triggered by the sweeping Petrobras corruption scandal that had shaken trust in the country’s political elite. Bolsonaro’s four-year term lasted until 2023.

His legacy, however, took a dramatic turn in September 2025 when Brazil’s Supreme Court convicted him on coup-related charges. The court found him guilty of attempting to retain power after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, sentencing him to 27 years and 3 months in prison, a landmark ruling in a country long marked by coups and failed power grabs.

Jair Bolsonaro: Early Life And Background

Bolsonaro was born in Glicério in São Paulo state, though he was registered months later in Campinas, which appears as his birthplace on official documents. He spent his childhood in Eldorado, a small town in Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest. His father, who initially practiced dentistry without formal qualifications, shifted to prosthetic work when trained dentists arrived in the area.

The third of six siblings, Bolsonaro pursued a military career early on. He attended the Preparatory School of the Brazilian Army and graduated from the Agulhas Negras Military Academy in 1977, beginning a trajectory that later shaped his political persona.

In November 2024, Bolsonaro was among more than 30 individuals indicted for an alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2022 election results. A nearly 900-page investigative report described an extraordinary plot involving plans to assassinate President-elect Lula, his vice-presidential running mate and a Supreme Court justice. According to investigators, the objective was to justify declaring a “state of siege,” dissolving checks and balances and allowing Bolsonaro to remain in power as a caretaker president.

Why Was He Sentenced To 27 Years In Prison

On September 11, 2025, a special five-judge panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court delivered a majority verdict convicting Bolsonaro of attempting to orchestrate a coup. Led by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the court cited extensive evidence including a document known as “Operation Green and Yellow Dagger”, reportedly drafted inside the presidential palace and detailing plans to assassinate Lula and de Moraes.

Hours after the verdict, the court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years and 3 months behind bars. Four of the five justices found him guilty on multiple charges- participation in an armed criminal organization, plotting to abolish Brazil’s democratic order by force, organizing a coup and damaging government property and protected cultural artifacts. One justice dissented.

In addition to prison time, Bolsonaro was barred from holding public office until 2060, 8 years after his sentence is set to conclude, making it virtually impossible for him to return to political life. Although he appealed the ruling, the Supreme Court rejected his plea. On November 25, 2025, the court ordered Bolsonaro to begin serving his prison sentence, sealing one of the most consequential verdicts in Brazil’s democratic history.

READ MORE: Trump Defends Kash Patel After Firing Report: 5 Controversies Marking His Time As FBI Director