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A6 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 4 February 2023

Ally claims Bolsonaro plotted coup to block Lula presidency

By ELÉONORE HUGHES and to the growing list of woes
MAURICIO SAVARESE for Bolsonaro, who is al-
Associated Press ready under investigation
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — for his possible role in his
A Brazilian magazine on supporters’ uprising in the
Thursday released audio Brazilian capital on Jan. 8.
of a senator claiming then Bolsonaro cast doubt on
President Jair Bolsonaro the nation’s electronic vot-
sought help in a plot to an- ing system for months in
nul the October elections the lead-up to the elec-
and keep himself in power. tion, and he then refused
In the recording, Sen. Mar- to concede defeat. His
cos do Val tells the maga- die-hard supporters have
zine Veja that the idea was accused de Moraes of rig-
discussed when he met with ging the election in Lula’s
Bolsonaro and lawmaker favor, without offering any
Daniel Silveira on Dec. 9 at evidence, and of overstep-
the presidential residence, ping his authority by block-
three weeks before leftist ing social media accounts
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was and ordering allegedly ar-
set to take office. bitrary arrests and search-
Do Val, who was an ally es.
during Bolsonaro’s four- Suspicions of a coup plot
year term, said the far-right Protesters, supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, stand on the roof of the National increased after police
Congress building after they stormed it, in Brasilia, Brazil, Jan. 8, 2023.
leader gave him the “mis- Associated Press searching the home of Bol-
sion” of recording Alexan- sonaro’s former justice min-
dre de Moraes, a Supreme of his comments,’” do Val its story that the plot had ida since Dec. 30, did not ister found a draft decree
Court justice who also quotes Bolsonaro as saying. been Silveira’s idea and comment on the matter that would have seized
heads Brazil’s electoral au- Veja released the audio that the former president on any of his social media control of the electoral
thority, while trying to get in response to denials the hadn’t said a word during channels. He recently ap- authority and potentially
the judge to admit he over- senator issued following the the meeting. plied for a six-month tourist overturned the election.
stepped his powers under magazine’s report Thurs- Later Thursday, de Moraes visa to stay in the U.S. The origin of the unsigned
the constitution. day morning about the ordered the Federal Po- Contacted by The Associ- document is unclear, and it
“’I annul the election, Lula purported plot, which had lice to take do Val’s sworn ated Press, Bolsonaro’s law- remains unknown if Bolson-
isn’t sworn in, I stay in the not cited him as its source. testimony within five days. yer Frederick Wassef de- aro or his subordinates took
presidency and arrest Alex- Do Val told reporters after Bolsonaro, who has been clined to comment. any steps to implement the
andre de Moraes because the magazine published keeping a low profile in Flor- The alleged meeting adds measure.q

UN rights chief concerned about Israel’s moves amid violence

By JAMEY KEATEN of a recent spike in blood- hatred, and to shun vio- Palestinians most of them sures being taken by the
Associated Press shed in the region. lence. “Rather than dou- militants but also a 61-year- government of Israel are
GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. hu- Volker Türk cited steps such bling down on failed ap- old woman. A Palestinian only fueling further viola-
man rights chief expressed as forced evictions of Pal- proaches of violence and gunman in a shooting at- tions and abuses of human
concerns Friday that steps estinians from their homes coercion that have singu- tack a day later outside an rights law and violations of
taken by the new Israeli and government moves to larly failed in the past, I urge east Jerusalem synagogue international humanitarian
government, the most far- expedite Israelis’ access to everyone involved to step killed seven people, includ- law,” Türk said.
right in the country’s history, firearms. He called on lead- out of the illogic of esca- ing a 14-year-old. Such laws prohibit “collec-
could fuel further violations ers, officials and everyone lation that has only ended Israel’s firebrand national tive punishment,” including
of human rights and hu- else on both sides to stop in dead bodies, shattered security minister, Itamar punitive forced evictions
manitarian law in the wake using language that incites lives and utter despair,” Ben-Gvir, responded by and demolition of homes,
said Türk, who took office taking steps to demolish the he said, warning that ex-
in October as the U.N. High home of the gunman and panded licensing of fire-
Commissioner for Human other Palestinian homes in arms to civilians plus a rise
Rights. Israel’s ambassador east Jerusalem built with- in hateful rhetoric “can
in Geneva accused the out permits, and called for only lead to further vio-
rights office of condemn- granting more gun licenses lence and bloodshed.”
ing a “legitimate response” to Israelis. Israel has long accused
by her country instead of On Thursday, Israeli aircraft United Nations institutions
condemning “heinous ter- struck a rocket production of anti-Israel bias, and the
rorist attacks” against Jew- workshop in the Gaza Strip, U.N.-backed Human Rights
ish worshippers and Israeli after Palestinian militants Council a 47-member-
civilians. fired a rocket toward Is- state body, which like the
The region is facing one rael. Over the weekend, a rights office is based in
of the deadliest periods of shooting in east Jerusalem Geneva has passed more
the Israeli-Palestinian con- by a 13-year-old Palestin- country-specific resolutions
A young Bedouin girl looks to of a car window at the West Bank
hamlet of Khan al-Ahmar, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. flict in years. An Israeli mili- ian wounded two Israelis. involving Israel than any
Associated Press tary raid last week killed 10 “I fear that recent mea- other single country.q