Thousands Take to Streets of Brazil to Celebrate Bolsonaro's Conviction

Thousands of Brazilians have taken to the streets to rejoice at Jair Bolsonaro's conviction for plotting a coup, as progressive politicians celebrated the move and rightwing figures linked to Donald Trump responded with anger and threats.

- Tom Phillips

Chile's leftwing president, Gabriel Boric, led regional congratulations over the decision to jail Bolsonaro for 27 years for leading a criminal organisation that sought to seize power after the far-right populist lost the 2022 election. "My respect to Brazilian democracy, which fended off a coup attempt, and today judges and convicts those responsible for it. They tried to destroy [democracy] and today it emerges strengthened," Boric posted on X, adding: "Democracy always!"

Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, said: "All putschists must be convicted. Those are the rules of democracy."

In Latin America, 11 September is a date deeply associated with authoritarianism and violence: it was on that day in 1973 that Gen Augusto Pinochet launched a US-backed coup in Chile that ushered in 17 years of brutal military rule.