Wednesday, February 19

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been charged with attempting a coup to take down current President Lula de Silva, who took power from Bolsonaro in 2022.

Bolsonaro took power in 2019, but he was an extremely right-wing politician and took steps that many Brazilians disliked. Despite greatly helping Brazil's economy by encouraging the opening of new small businesses, many of his policies were major detriments to the environment and the indigenous peoples of Brazil. In a country home to the Amazon Rainforest, which is disappearing at an unprecedented pace, Brazilians realized the need for protection of their wildlife and elected Lula de Silva in the 2022 election. Lula took power for the second time on January 1, 2023, as he had previously served as Brazil's president from 2003 to 2011 after winning two consecutive elections.

Now, Brazil's prosecutor general, Paulo Gonet, has charged Bolsonaro of planning major actions to take down Lula's government and restore his power. Gonet claims that an organization consisting of 33 members in addition to Bolsonaro, created a dangerous plan by the name of the "Green and Yellow Dagger," referencing the green and yellow colors on the Brazilian flag.

Allegedly, the plan involved attacking government offices, poisoning Lula, and killing Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Justice de Moraes was known for his left-wing actions, which often included ordering probes into Bolsonaro's actions. Gonet also stated that the "Green and Yellow Dagger" plan was then brought to Bolsonaro himself, who accepted the idea.

Bolsonaro and his defense team have strongly denied these claims, though, and his son, Flávio Bolsonaro, accused Gonet of working towards Lula's "nefarious interests." Bolsonaro has assured the public that it is all a scheme and there is no evidence to back up their case, but Gonet's team has confirmed that they have obtained a multitude of documents and online conversations that bolster their case.

Now, Bolsonaro's case will head to the Supreme Court, where they will decide on the legitimacy of the indictment. If Bolsonaro is taken into court, he could face up to 20 years in prison, and he has already been banned from the 2026 election because he abused his power and diminished the public's trust in Brazil's electronic voting system.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): You’d think that the bigger the stomach, the more hot dogs would be able to fit, right? Not quite. Actually, lighter contestants in eating competitions can out-eat their heavier competitors because a skinny person has room for their stomach to expand without being blocked by a ring of fat.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence. (Confucius)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Chutzpah (noun, KHOOTS-puh) - Chutzpah is audacious boldness often paired with reckless self-confidence. Someone with chutzpah dares to do or say things that seem shocking to others.

In a Sentence: It took a lot of chutzpah to stand up to her boss the way she did.