THE former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro asked his supporters to participate in a “peaceful rally” on February 25 at Sao Paolo reacting to the accusations against him of a coup.

“On the last Sunday of February, the 25th, at 3:00 p.m. they will be on Paulista Avenue holding a peaceful rally to defend our democratic rule of law,” Bolsonaro said in a video he posted on social media yesterday.

During this event, “I want to defend myself against the accusations that have been leveled against me these past months,” he continued.

On Thursday, Bolsonaro became the target of a police operation as part of an investigation into his alleged role in a coup. On the same day he was banned from leaving the country.

The detailed revelation on Friday of a “coup attempt” to overturn the outcome of the 2022 presidential election has put far-right Bolsonaro in a particularly difficult position.

With the February 25 rally, the former president said he wanted to make a symbolic show of strength on the iconic Paulista Avenue: to take “a picture” of his supporters, “to show Brazil and the world” their unity, their concerns and his wishes.

Although he has previously declared himself a victim of “persecution”, Bolsonaro asked his supporters “not to attend (the rally) holding banners or banners against anyone”.

The former captain has been stripped of his political rights until 2030 for abuse of power and has been the target of several investigations since stepping down 13 months ago, although he remains head of the opposition.

Investigators believe the coup was planned long before January 8, 2023, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia, unhappy with the victory of Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in the presidential election.

Video of a rally held on July 5, 2023, released Friday shows Bolsonaro calling on “all ministers” to launch a campaign against online polls, as he has done.