Brazil’s Lula taps prosecutor general for new term amid Bolsonaro trial

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BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday signed the nomination for Paulo Gonet to serve another term as prosecutor general, Lula’s office said.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Gonet has been leading high-profile cases, including the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat.

A source at Gonet’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the appointment to another term ahead of final arguments next week in Bolsonaro’s trial signals backing for the team to continue its work.

CONTEXT

Gonet, 64, was first appointed by Lula for the role in November 2023. The Senate approved his nomination the following month in a 65-11 vote, with one abstention. His current term expires December 18.

He had previously served as an electoral prosecutor and helped secure Bolsonaro’s conviction at Brazil’s top electoral court in 2023, when the former right-wing leader was barred from holding office until 2030 for his conduct during the 2022 election.

Brazil’s government has said Gonet was among those subject to visa bans imposed by the United States on officials involved in Bolsonaro’s trial, which President Donald Trump has called a “witch hunt.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Gonet will undergo a new hearing before the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee, which must back his nomination before it goes to a vote on the Senate floor. If confirmed, he will remain in office until December 2027.

(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Additional reporting by Ricardo Brito and Eduardo Simoes; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Rod Nickel)