In brief
Brazilian parliamentary proceedings turned chaotic on Tuesday as conservative lawmakers attempted to push through a controversial law aimed at reducing former president Jair Bolsonaro's prison sentence for coup-related crimes. The efforts met fierce resistance from left-wing politicians, leading to violent scuffles, police interference, and a temporary cut in live broadcast coverage. As Bolsonaro's supporters rally for significant leniency, fissures within Brazil's political landscape become increasingly evident, underscoring the divisive legacy of the former president.
Brazil's parliament descended into chaos on Tuesday as conservative lawmakers continued to push a law which would reduce the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
One left-wing lawmaker was forcibly removed by police after trying to disrupt proceedings, while footage showed scuffles breaking out as security tried to restore order.
Bolsonaro began a 27-year jail term in November for attempting to plot a coup following his 2022 election defeat. His conservative allies in Congress have proposed a law which would reduce sentences for coup-related offences, as well as free dozens of Bolsonaro supporters who stormed government buildings shortly after he left office.
Meanwhile, court documents showed that Bolsonaro's legal team filed an official request asking a court to grant him permission to leave prison for surgery. The appeal repeats a plea for the ex-president to be allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest on health grounds. Bolsonaro spent time in intensive care earlier this year following intestinal surgery, and was stabbed in the abdomen in 2018 during a rally.
The fate of Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist who was narrowly beaten by leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva three years ago, continues to be a divisive issue in Brazil, where his allies have explored several avenues to exonerate him.
During Tuesday's heated debate on the proposal, leftist politician Glauber Braga briefly occupied the Speaker's chair, which he said was a protest against a coup offensive. Police forcibly removed Braga amid a skirmish in the chamber, and the TV feed was cut, a move condemned as censorship by a group representing journalists.
As of late Tuesday night, the law cutting Bolsonaro's sentence - which would require ratification by the legislature's second house - had not passed.
