Braga Netto, First Four-Star General Arrested Since Dictatorship, Held for Coup Attempt Obstruction

Dec 16, 2024, 10:14 AM

General Walter Braga Netto, a four-star general and former Brazilian Defense Minister, has been arrested for allegedly obstructing an investigation into a coup attempt aimed at preventing the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022. This marks a historic moment as Braga Netto is the first four-star general to be arrested in Brazil since the military dictatorship. His arrest was upheld after a custody hearing by Judge Rafael Henrique Janela Tamai Rocha, an assistant in the office of Supreme Federal Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes. Braga Netto is accused of trying to obtain classified information about the plea deal of Mauro Cid, a former assistant to ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, to pass on to other suspects and align their versions. The Federal Police (PF) alleges that Braga Netto played a central role in the coup plan, including financing the operation through the transfer of money in a wine bag. He is currently detained at the Command of the 1st Army Division in Rio de Janeiro, where he is being held in a room with amenities like air conditioning, a refrigerator, and a TV, reflecting his military rank's privileges. Braga Netto's defense denies any obstruction or embarrassment to the investigations.