A retired general told Brazil’s Supreme Court he drafted a document planning for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s assassination, as part of an alleged coup plot for which former president Jair Bolsonaro is also on trial.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
A retired general told Brazil’s Supreme Court he drafted a document planning for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s assassination, as part of an alleged coup plot for which former president Jair Bolsonaro is also on trial.
General Mario Fernandes, a former acting chief of the General Secretariat of the presidency under Bolsonaro, confirmed in his testimony on Thursday that he drafted and printed the document, though he described it as a personal “thought” of his.
The far-right Bolsonaro is on trial for allegedly plotting a coup to cling to power after losing the 2022 election to leftist Lula da Silva.
The plot allegedly included a plan — dubbed “Green and Yellow Dagger,” after the colors of Brazil’s flag and Bolsonaro’s party — to assassinate Lula, according to prosecutors.
“That digital file only reflects a thought of mine, a compilation of data, a study of the situation,” Fernandes said via videoconference during interrogations of about 30 former Bolsonaro associates on trial alongside the ex-president.
Fernandes said he printed the document at the Planalto presidential office only to read it “on paper” and then tore it up.
“It was not presented to anyone, it was not shared by anyone,” he added.
However, prosecutors accused the retired military officer of taking the plan to the Alvorada presidential residence for “negotiations” with Bolsonaro on December 6, 2022.
That same day, Bolsonaro received a draft decree contemplating exceptional measures to annul the election results, according to investigators.
The alleged “Green and Yellow Dagger” plan was to be carried out on December 15, 2022, and also planned to kill then-vice president-elect Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is currently presiding over Bolsonaro’s trial.
The plot was allegedly unsuccessful due to lack of support from senior military commanders.
Last week, prosecutors requested Bolsonaro’s conviction. If found guilty, the 70-year-old could face up to 40 years in prison.
Published – July 25, 2025 11:18 pm IST
