Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed a bill passed by congress that would have significantly reduced the potential prison sentence for former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted last year of plotting a coup. The veto occurred on the third anniversary of the January 8, 2023, riots in Brasília, where Bolsonaro supporters attacked government buildings following Lula's victory in the 2022 election.

The bill, approved by congress in December, aimed to revise the penal code in a way that would lessen the severity of the charges against Bolsonaro and others involved in the coup attempt. Critics argued the bill would undermine the country's democratic institutions and send a message of impunity. Supporters of the bill contended that the existing laws were overly harsh and disproportionately targeted political opponents.

The 2023 riots in Brasília saw thousands of demonstrators storm the Supreme Court, the Presidential Palace, and the National Congress, mirroring the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The rioters, disputing the results of the election, called for military intervention to remove Lula from power.

Lula's administration has characterized the riots as an assault on democracy and has vowed to hold those responsible accountable. Bolsonaro, while condemning the violence, has maintained his innocence and denied any involvement in planning the events.

The veto now returns the bill to congress, where lawmakers have the option to override Lula's decision with a majority vote in both houses. The political implications of the veto are significant, potentially deepening the divide between Lula's supporters and Bolsonaro's base, and further polarizing the political landscape in Brazil. The decision on whether to override the veto is expected to be a closely watched event in the coming weeks.