Brazil's Lula vetoes bill that would have reduced Bolsonaro's prison time

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed a December congressional bill that would have cut former president Jair Bolsonaro's 27-year sentence for his role in the 2023 coup attempt; Congress could seek to override the veto.

Brazil's president vetoed a congressional measure that lawmakers had approved in December which would have shortened penalties linked to the 2023 attacks on the capital. The veto was announced during a presidential ceremony marking the third anniversary of the January 8 events that targeted government buildings. Lula has said he would block the proposal and framed the anniversary as a test of democracy. The decision comes with Brazil headed toward general elections later this year. Key facts: - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva formally vetoed the bill on Thursday, rejecting a measure passed by Congress in December. - The legislation would have reduced the 27-year prison sentence handed to former president Jair Bolsonaro in the coup-related trial and could have cut other related sentences significantly. - Congress has the power to override a presidential veto, and analysts cited in reporting say overriding the veto could be politically risky ahead of the October general election. - Bolsonaro began serving his sentence in November and his legal team has asked authorities to grant house arrest on health grounds; no public comment on the veto was reported from him or his lawyers. Summary: The veto preserves the current legal framework that led to Bolsonaro's 27-year sentence and maintains the possibility that related convictions would not be reduced under the December bill. What happens next is procedural: Congress may attempt to override the presidential veto, but the outcome is undetermined at this time.