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With Bolsonaro’s Inclusion, Brazil Now Has Six Living Ex-Presidents Who Have Faced Legal Actions — An Uncommon Phenomenon Even Among Major Democracies
The Brazil has a rather curious history when it comes to its ex-presidents. All five living former leaders of the country have faced legal actions and have become defendants at some point after leaving the highest office in the Republic.
With the recent decision of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to accept a charge against Jair Messias Bolsonaro, the former president joins a select list made up of José Sarney, Fernando Collor de Mello, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff, and Michel Temer.
Each of these names faced justice for different reasons, but they all had one thing in common: they became defendants after holding the highest office in the Republic.
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This Tradition Repeats Itself
The recent news about former president Jair Bolsonaro becoming a defendant drew attention for an unusual reason: it reinforces a rare pattern among democracies. With this new judicial decision, Brazil now has all of its living ex-presidents as defendants at some point after leaving office.
This fact sparks curiosity, as few countries in the world have such a consistent sequence of former heads of state facing legal actions while still alive after their terms end.
Who Are the Defendent Ex-Presidents
The list of living ex-presidents who have become defendants includes names from different parties and periods in Brazil’s recent history:
- José Sarney, who governed from 1985 to 1990.
- Fernando Collor de Mello, from 1990 to 1992.
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who served two terms from 2003 to 2010.
- Dilma Rousseff, president from 2011 to 2016.
- Michel Temer, in office from 2016 to 2018.
- Jair Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022.
It is worth noting that the fact that someone becomes a defendant does not mean that the person is considered guilty. It only refers to the opening of a judicial process for a deeper investigation of the events that occurred during their respective terms in office.
Curiosity or Coincidence?
The repetitive nature of this phenomenon captures the attention of scholars in politics and law. But, above all, it raises a curiosity: why have so many Brazilian ex-presidents ended up facing formal charges?
Even without delving into the legal merits, the numerical coincidence is remarkable. No other country in the Americas presents a similar pattern with so many living ex-presidents facing judicial scrutiny.
Regardless of the reasons behind each case, Brazil today holds this unusual record: all of its living ex-presidents have become defendants at some point.
With information from Terra.
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