Arrested Bolsonaro Denies Escape Plot After Tampering with Tracking Device

Federal police in Brazil have arrested former President Jair Bolsonaro, citing strong suspicions that the convicted politician was attempting to flee to a foreign embassy to avoid his looming prison term. The arrest took place at his Brasília home, just one day before a key custody hearing where the former leader was forced to answer for the security breach involving his mandatory electronic ankle monitor. Bolsonaro is currently facing a 27-year sentence for orchestrating a failed coup.
The former president is under house arrest as he awaits the commencement of his long prison term. Days before his dramatic apprehension, security authorities detected clear and concerning signs of interference with the tracking equipment attached to his ankle. This interference was interpreted by law enforcement as a preparatory step for a sudden, clandestine departure from his supervised residence. During the court hearing, the 70-year-old former president vehemently denied any intention of escaping.
In a highly unusual explanation for the device tampering, Bolsonaro claimed that he was suffering from a drug-induced “psychotic attack.” He testified that a mix of a strong painkiller and an antidepressant led to a bout of paranoia and hallucinations. He insisted that he genuinely believed the ankle monitor was a secretly recording device, which prompted him to physically damage it with a soldering iron to stop the supposed espionage, a claim that has generated profound cynicism.