A woman in Brazil has been sentenced to 14 years in prison following her participation in riots that erupted in January 2023, involving supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Debora Rodrigues, a 39-year-old hairdresser, wrote the phrase "You lost, idiot" in lipstick on a statue outside Brazil's Supreme Federal Court, an act that has since been dubbed the "lipstick coup."
The riot was part of the unrest that followed Bolsonaro's electoral defeat the previous year, in which thousands of his supporters attacked government buildings, vocally opposing the election of President Lula da Silva. Justice Cristiano Zanin, one of the five judges managing the case, condemned Rodrigues for multiple crimes, including property destruction and being part of a criminal organization.
Rodrigues, who apologized for her actions, claimed she did not engage in any violent behavior during the protests. "I went to the protests and I didn't imagine that they would be so turbulent," she stated in court, asserting that she had never committed a crime before this incident. Her defense team argued that she acted impulsively and did not enter any buildings during the chaos.
During the proceedings, Justice Alexandre de Moraes remarked that Rodrigues had "consciously and voluntarily" supported the anti-democratic efforts to destabilize the government. The court noted that she had confessed to participating in non-democratic activities and that evidence suggested she attempted to hide communications linked to the events.
Rodrigues' case has since become a point of contention among Bolsonaro's supporters, who believe she is being politically persecuted and emphasize the judiciary's growing influence and bias. The case has also encouraged viral discussions on social media, with influential figures, including Bolsonaro himself, advocating for amnesty for individuals involved in the protests. Bolsonaro is currently facing criminal charges related to the attempted coup, with the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
