From army captain to prisoner: the dramatic fall of Jair Bolsonaro
Once a rising populist star who rode a wave of anti-establishment indignation into the Brazilian presidency, Jair Bolsonaro’s political trajectory ended in a historic courtroom. After a career defined by military discipline and fierce conservatism, a Supreme Court conviction has sentenced the former leader to over two decades in prison.
Jair Bolsonaro served as Brazil's 38th president from 2019 to 2023. His rise to power was fueled by a populist platform and a reputation for national conservatism, shaped during his 27-year tenure as a congressman. Before entering politics, he was a military officer, graduating from the Military Academy of Agulhas Negras in 1977 and eventually reaching the rank of captain.
His presidency was marked by significant controversy, from his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic—where he downplayed the crisis and opposed quarantine measures—to his environmental policies that facilitated deforestation in the Amazon. While some praised his law-and-order stance, critics pointed to his far-right rhetoric and vocal opposition to social progress, including abortion and same-sex marriage.
The most profound shift in his story, however, involves his legal downfall. Following his 2022 election loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro faced accusations of attempting to undermine the democratic process. In September 2025, the Brazilian Supreme Court convicted him on coup-related charges, finding that he had planned a 'self-coup' to retain power. The court sentenced him to 27 years and 3 months in prison, a landmark prosecution for a former Brazilian president.
His legal battles continued well into 2025, involving indictments for planning the coup and even house arrest for violating pre-trial rules regarding social media use. By late November 2025, after an attempt to remove his electronic ankle monitor led to his arrest, the Supreme Court rejected his final appeals, ordering the enforcement of his lengthy prison sentence.
Source: Jair Bolsonaro
