For years, Jair Bolsonaro repeated the same refrain: "For my future, I have three options: prison, death, or victory," he would say, both privately and in public, adding that the first was "out of the question." History, however, had other plans and delivered a sharp retort. On Thursday, September 11, the former president of Brazil was sentenced by the courts to 27 years and three months in prison for attempting a coup.

The justices of the first chamber of the Supreme Federal Court, Brazil's highest, made this decision. By a vote of four to one, they sealed the fate of the far-right leader who held power from 2019 to 2023.

The justices also sentenced seven of his closest associates, identified as the masterminds behind the failed coup. They received prison terms ranging from two to 26 years.

"This criminal action is an encounter between Brazil and its past, present and future," said Justice Carmen Lucia in her ruling. The historical significance of this verdict, which could well be the missing piece in the development of democracy in Latin America's largest country, is undeniable. In any case, it puts an end to the impunity long enjoyed by the armed forces, who emerged unscathed from 20 years of dictatorship (1964-1985). Six military personnel were convicted, including three generals.

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