Brazil's Bolsonaro given 27-year term for coup plotting

Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced firebrand ex-president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for coup plotting at the end of a landmark trial that divided the nation and drew US fury.

The sentence could see the 70-year-old far-right leader spend the rest of his days in jail.

Judges voted 4-1 to convict Bolsonaro of plotting to overthrow Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva following his October 2022 election defeat by the left-winger.

Prosecutors said the plan failed only due to a lack of support from military top brass. Bolsonaro's defense team called the sentence "incredibly excessive" and announced he would appeal, "including at the international level."

Washington was quick to respond to the conviction of the man dubbed "the Trump of the tropics" on his election in 2019.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States "will respond accordingly" to what he called a politically motivated "witch hunt."

Brazil's foreign ministry hit back, saying it would not be intimidated by Rubio's "threats."

A 'good man'

Trump, who levied steep tariffs on Brazil as punishment over Bolsonaro's prosecution, labeled the verdict "very surprising."

He praised Bolsonaro as a "good president" and "good man" and said his legal woes were "very much like they tried to do with me."

While the Supreme Court had already garnered the simple majority of three votes needed for his conviction at the fourth vote, it only became final after the last of the five judges issued his decision.

"An armed criminal organization was formed by the defendants, who must be convicted based on the factual circumstances I consider proven," said the fifth judge, Cristiano Zanin, Lula's former lawyer.