<p>Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's political career was in tatters on Friday as Brazil's federal electoral court (TSE) barred the far-right nationalist from public office until 2030 for his conduct during last year's fraught election.</p>.<p>Five out of seven justices voted to convict the 68-year-old Bolsonaro for abuse of power and misuse of the media when, in July, before the 2022 election, he summoned ambassadors to vent unfounded claims about Brazil's electronic voting system.</p>.<p>Their decision marks a stunning reversal for Bolsonaro, a fiery former army captain who narrowly lost October's election to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Many in Brazil blame him for creating a nationwide movement to overturn the result, which culminated in the Jan. 8 invasion of government buildings in Brasilia by thousands of his supporters.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-in-bilateral-talks-with-brazil-to-resolve-sugar-dispute-at-world-trade-organisation-1231011.html" target="_blank">India in bilateral talks with Brazil to resolve sugar dispute at World Trade Organisation</a></strong></p>.<p>The impact from the electoral court's ruling is likely to ripple through Brazilian politics, removing Lula's main foe from contention in 2026 and opening up space among a competitive field on Brazil's right.</p>.<p>Lula's team celebrated the result.</p>.<p>"Some important messages come from the TSE trial: lying is not a legitimate tool for exercising a public function and politics is not governed by the law of the jungle," Justice Minister Flavio Dino tweeted. "Democracy has overcome its toughest stress test in decades."</p>.<p>This is not the end of Bolsonaro's troubles; he still faces multiple criminal probes that could put him behind bars.</p>.<p>Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, and his lawyers have pledged to appeal to the Supreme Court. On Friday, he described the decision as a "stab in the back," and pledged to keep working to advance right-wing politics in Brazil.</p>.<p>It remains to be seen what Bolsonaro, whose personal brand has become increasingly toxic in Brazil, does next.</p>.<p>His hopes of beating Lula in 2026 may be over, but that doesn't mean there won't be a Bolsonaro running in three years' time. Bolsonaro has said he would support his wife, Michelle, as candidate. She is a political novice, but an avowed evangelical Christian who could garner support among a religious right that is wary of Lula.</p>.<p>Jair Bolsonaro, an admirer of former US President Donald Trump, was criticized internationally for his lackluster stewardship of the Amazon rainforest, his laissez-faire approach to Covid-19 restrictions, and his evidence-free attacks on Brazil's electoral system.</p>.<p>The TSE trial is part of a broader reckoning in Brazil with the fallout from the country's most painful election in a generation. While the former president faced the electoral court scrutiny, many of his one-time allies are being questioned by lawmakers in a congressional probe into the Jan. 8 riots.</p>
<p>Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's political career was in tatters on Friday as Brazil's federal electoral court (TSE) barred the far-right nationalist from public office until 2030 for his conduct during last year's fraught election.</p>.<p>Five out of seven justices voted to convict the 68-year-old Bolsonaro for abuse of power and misuse of the media when, in July, before the 2022 election, he summoned ambassadors to vent unfounded claims about Brazil's electronic voting system.</p>.<p>Their decision marks a stunning reversal for Bolsonaro, a fiery former army captain who narrowly lost October's election to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Many in Brazil blame him for creating a nationwide movement to overturn the result, which culminated in the Jan. 8 invasion of government buildings in Brasilia by thousands of his supporters.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-in-bilateral-talks-with-brazil-to-resolve-sugar-dispute-at-world-trade-organisation-1231011.html" target="_blank">India in bilateral talks with Brazil to resolve sugar dispute at World Trade Organisation</a></strong></p>.<p>The impact from the electoral court's ruling is likely to ripple through Brazilian politics, removing Lula's main foe from contention in 2026 and opening up space among a competitive field on Brazil's right.</p>.<p>Lula's team celebrated the result.</p>.<p>"Some important messages come from the TSE trial: lying is not a legitimate tool for exercising a public function and politics is not governed by the law of the jungle," Justice Minister Flavio Dino tweeted. "Democracy has overcome its toughest stress test in decades."</p>.<p>This is not the end of Bolsonaro's troubles; he still faces multiple criminal probes that could put him behind bars.</p>.<p>Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, and his lawyers have pledged to appeal to the Supreme Court. On Friday, he described the decision as a "stab in the back," and pledged to keep working to advance right-wing politics in Brazil.</p>.<p>It remains to be seen what Bolsonaro, whose personal brand has become increasingly toxic in Brazil, does next.</p>.<p>His hopes of beating Lula in 2026 may be over, but that doesn't mean there won't be a Bolsonaro running in three years' time. Bolsonaro has said he would support his wife, Michelle, as candidate. She is a political novice, but an avowed evangelical Christian who could garner support among a religious right that is wary of Lula.</p>.<p>Jair Bolsonaro, an admirer of former US President Donald Trump, was criticized internationally for his lackluster stewardship of the Amazon rainforest, his laissez-faire approach to Covid-19 restrictions, and his evidence-free attacks on Brazil's electoral system.</p>.<p>The TSE trial is part of a broader reckoning in Brazil with the fallout from the country's most painful election in a generation. While the former president faced the electoral court scrutiny, many of his one-time allies are being questioned by lawmakers in a congressional probe into the Jan. 8 riots.</p>