Brazilian Congress Adopts Bill Lowering Bolsonaro’s Sentence, Overriding Lula Veto

Senator Espiridiao Amin, a Bolsonaro ally, said, ‘This is a first and much awaited step by those who are afflicted.’

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro leaves DF Star Hospital after undergoing minor surgery to remove skin spots, in Brasília, Brazil, on Sept. 14, 2025. Ton Molina/Getty Images

Brazil’s Congress voted on April 30 to override President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s veto and adopt a bill that would allow former President Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence to be reduced.

Bolsonaro, 71, was jailed in September 2025 for plotting a coup in January 2023, after he narrowly lost the election to Lula.