AP News RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Weeks ahead of Brazil’s presidential election, police carried out search warrants Tuesday targeting several business leaders who allegedly participated in a private chat group that included comments favoring a possible coup and military involvement in politics.
The search and seizure warrants were issued by a Supreme Court justice who heads the nation’s electoral authority, according to a statement from the federal police. They were aimed at prominent supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro, according to two of the people whose properties were searched and an official with knowledge of the operation.
Many of the comments were speculative and appeared to reflect personal opinion rather than a coordinated effort to undermine Brazilian democracy. However, they fed into national jitters over whether Bolsonaro’s unsubstantiated allegations that the electoral system is vulnerable to fraud were laying the groundwork for a power grab if the vote doesn’t go his way…
