Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has told a judge that medication-induced “hallucinations” drove him to tamper with his electronic ankle monitor, an act that paved the way for his preemptive arrest.
Bolsonaro, 70, said a change in his prescription, aimed at treating chronic hiccups, triggered paranoia that he believed the device was bugged. According to court documents, he used a soldering iron on the ankle tag, convinced there were wires hidden inside. He claimed the episode began around midnight and stopped shortly after, once he “came to his senses.”
Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Court ordered Bolsonaro’s detention, citing his flight risk. The decision followed police reports of the tampering, which occurred while Bolsonaro was under house arrest. Authorities say the breach further undermines his claims of compliance with court-imposed restrictions.
Bolsonaro has strongly denied any intention to escape. In his hearing, he argued that his unstable mental state, marked by insomnia and “a certain paranoia”, was caused by a mix of medications prescribed by different doctors. Despite his defence, the judge refused to return him to house arrest, citing the risk of flight.
His conviction came in September, when he was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for plotting a coup after his 2022 election loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro’s lawyers had earlier appealed, but a Supreme Court panel rejected the challenge, citing strong evidence of a conspiracy to undermine Brazil’s democratic institutions.
The developments have galvanised his supporters and critics. While some view his jailing as a necessary affirmation of the rule of law, others warn that it could energise Bolsonaro’s political movement rather than extinguish it.
As Brazil and the rest of the world watch, the country now faces a tense moment: can democracy survive a deeply polarised political era, with its political figures behind bars?
