Brazilian Police Arrest 5 Including Ex-Bolsonaro Aide Over Alleged Plot To Kill Lula

The Brazilian police have arrested five individuals, including a former cabinet member of the Jair Bolsonaro administration, for allegedly plotting to kill then-President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, just days before his inauguration in 2022.

The army confirmed the arrests of retired Brigadier General Mario Fernandes, a former deputy minister in Bolsonaro's cabinet, along with Lieutenant Colonels Helio Ferreira Lima, Rodrigo Bezerra de Azevedo, and Rafael Martins de Oliveira, Reuters reported.

The police investigations revealed documents outlining plans to assassinate Lula and his Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin, through shooting or poisoning.

Retired Brigadier General Mario Fernandes was identified as the mastermind of the scheme. He was found with a printed plot outline, which had been created at the presidential palace.

The plan reportedly aimed to replace Lula and Alckmin with retired army generals, Augusto Heleno and Braga Netto, who would lead the country temporarily and organize new elections. According to the police, the plot also included plans to kill a Supreme Court justice using explosives or poison.

These arrests marked the first time the federal police revealed a plot to assassinate Lula and Alckmin and overthrow the government to stop Lula from taking office. Although the officers were in Rio de Janeiro, they were not part of the city's security operation for the ongoing G20 summit.

Most of those being investigated as part of the alleged 2022 coup plot were military personnel with Special Forces training or close associates of Bolsonaro.

"A detailed operational plan called 'Green and Yellow Dagger' was identified, which would be executed on December 15, 2022, aimed at the murder of the elected candidates for president and vice president," the police said, Reuters reported.

"Investigations indicate that the criminal organization used a high level of technical-military knowledge to plan, coordinate and execute illicit actions in the months of November and December 2022."

Lula had won the presidential election in October 2022, defeating Bolsonaro, and taken the office on Jan. 1, 2023. Bolsonaro had filled his administration with military officers, many of whom opposed Lula.

Before Lula's inauguration, Bolsonaro left Brazil for Florida and did not accept his election defeat. He later returned to Brazil and was now under investigation for allegedly encouraging riots on Jan. 8, 2023.