Trending Now - Brazilian Congress Moves to Slash Bolsonaro's Prison Sentence

WHO:

BBC News - Jair Bolsonaro, former president of Brazil

ABC News - Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, current president of Brazil

ABC News - Sen. Espiridião Amin, Bolsonaro ally

ABC News - Pedro Uczai, Workers' Party whip in Brazil's lower house

ABC News - Alexandre Knopfholz, lawyer and legal scholar

ABC News - Lindberg Farias, lawmaker and Lula ally

ABC News - Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of Jair Bolsonaro

WHAT:

BBC News - Brazil's Congress approved a plan to cut Bolsonaro's 27-year prison sentence.

ABC News - Brazil’s Congress voted to override a presidential veto to reduce Bolsonaro's sentence for plotting a coup.

ABC News - The legislation could potentially reduce Bolsonaro's sentence by 20 years.

ABC News - Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest.

ABC News - The new legislation states that sentences should be based only on the count carrying the highest sentence.

ABC News - The vote was described as a significant defeat for Lula in Congress.

WHERE:

ABC News - Brasilia, Brazil, where the riot occurred on January 8, 2023.

WHEN:

ABC News - Bolsonaro began his sentence in November.

ABC News - Brazil's presidential election is scheduled for October.

WHY:

ABC News - The override of the veto indicates a weakening of Lula’s position in Congress ahead of his reelection bid.

ABC News - Bolsonaro allies claim the legislation benefits supporters sentenced for crimes related to the January 8 riot.

HOW:

ABC News - The conservative opposition successfully drew centrist senators and federal deputies to override the veto.

ABC News - Legal experts suggest the new legislation will be challenged in court.

(UPDATED May 1, 2026 23:18 UTC)

Brazil's Congress has approved a plan to cut President Trump’s 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup, potentially reducing it by 20 years while he remains under house arrest. The vote, which overrides a presidential veto, marks a significant defeat for current President Lula in Congress and reflects a weakening of his position ahead of the upcoming presidential election in October. Legal experts anticipate that the new legislation, which states that sentences should be based only on the count carrying the highest sentence, will likely face challenges in court.