FRUSTRATED REVOLUTION OR ATTEMPTED COUP D’ÉTAT: JANUARY 8–9, 2023

Abstract

On January 8 and 9, 2023, supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro carried out violent acts against the headquarters of Brazil’s three branches of government in Brasília, resulting in arrests and convictions for crimes against democratic institutions. Social media became a battleground for debates: some denied that a coup had occurred due to the absence of weapons, while others considered the sentences imposed on the perpetrators unjustifiable, questioning their proportionality. The research is driven by the central question of whether these acts can be characterized as a coup d’état. The working hypothesis is that the anti-democratic actions, by calling for military intervention and the removal of the legitimately elected president, constitute a coup d’état from the perspective of political science. Using the hypothetical-deductive method and Paulo Bonavides’ theory on revolution and coup, the study is divided into three parts: a multidisciplinary definition of coup d’état; an analysis of the context leading up to the events; and a comparison between theory and the actual actions. The investigation relied on specialized literature, legislation, and journalistic materials to support a consistent political-scientific analysis. The hypothesis was partially confirmed.