For left-wing federal congresswoman Sâmia Bomfim, this year’s International Day of Democracy, marked on Monday (15), carries special weight after Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro and senior military generals to prison for attempting a coup and other crimes.
“It is such an important date for all of us, given the recent historic events and Brazil’s current political moment,” Bomfim told Radio BdF.
She believes the ruling opens a new chapter in the country’s political history. “It is a turning point for Brazil. Having this shift is phenomenal, and it means that future generations will see Brazil in a different light,” she said.
Although the coup attempt never materialized, Bomfim stressed that it drew directly on the methods of the military dictatorship, marked by torture, persecution, and forced disappearances. “Bolsonaro never denied that. There must be accountability and sanctions,” she argued.
Fight against amnesty
Bomfim strongly criticized the attempt by Bolsonaro-allied lawmakers to pass an amnesty for those convicted. “It is outrageous. The most revolting thing is when Bolsonaro supporters invoke the amnesty granted to those who fought against the dictatorship, as if there were any comparison between those who resisted and these coup-plotters today,” she said, referring to Brazil’s 1979 Amnesty Law, which allowed political exiles to return and freed prisoners persecuted under the dictatorship.
She emphasized that popular mobilization will be key to stopping the proposal in Congress. “The majority of Brazilians are against amnesty. This is not a popular agenda – it belongs to one family and a political faction,” she added. A recent Datafolha poll released Sunday (14) shows that 54% of Brazilians oppose granting amnesty to Bolsonaro.
Democracy with a social dimension
The congresswoman also argued that strengthening democracy must be tied to advancing social and economic policies, such as raising the income tax exemption threshold to about US$1,000 a month, ending the six-days-on, one-day-off work schedule, and taxing large fortunes.
According to Bomfim, the coming months will expose the stark contrast between progressive forces and the far right. “While one sector does everything to push amnesty forward, there is another sector – where we stand – that seeks real gains for the people,” she said. “They want amnesty; we want more rights for the people.”
