Disinformation Network Central to Coup Attempt, Criminal Lawyer States

Brazilian authorities have identified what they call the “Fourth Core,” a group allegedly responsible for a systematic disinformation campaign against Brazil’s electronic voting system, as a central element in the 2023 attempted coup, according to legal experts following the case.

Criminal lawyer José Carlos Portella Junior emphasized the critical nature of the ongoing trial in an interview with Radio BdF, describing the group’s role as “absolutely central to the coup plotters’ goals.”

“Its purpose was to manipulate public opinion through what we can only call disinformation,” Portella explained. “Their main task was to generate falsehoods about the electoral process and the electronic voting machines, creating a climate of social chaos and spreading the notion that the Brazilian elections were fraudulent.”

The group consists of six military officers and one civilian associated with the Instituto Voto Legal (Legal Vote Institute). On Tuesday, Brazil’s General Attorney Paulo Gonet formally requested the conviction of all seven defendants.

According to Portella, the disinformation strategy wasn’t hastily assembled but rather carefully planned well in advance of the 2022 presidential election. He pointed out that former president Jair Bolsonaro of the far-right Liberal Party (PL) began promoting claims of potential electoral fraud months before ballots were cast.

“Bolsonaro introduced this narrative as a way to justify his eventual defeat and convince supporters that it would be an unfair loss,” said Portella.

The lawyer highlighted the effectiveness of the alleged disinformation campaign in mobilizing Bolsonaro supporters, many of whom later participated in demonstrations challenging the election results that culminated in the January 2023 storming of government buildings in Brasília.

“How else could we explain such a mobilized, radicalized mass if not through daily propaganda insisting that Bolsonaro’s defeat had been unjust?” he asked.

The “Fourth Core” investigation follows a previous case against what prosecutors called the “Hard Core,” which resulted in prison sentences for Bolsonaro and several high-ranking officials, including former Defense Minister Braga Netto. Portella emphasized the connection between these groups.

“These two cores are deeply intertwined,” he said. “There is a strong link between them.”

The lawyer also noted that disinformation wasn’t limited to electoral matters during the Bolsonaro administration but extended to other policy areas. “It was a defining feature of the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, environmental policy, culture, and education,” Portella stated.

Brazil’s congress has recently seen proposals aimed at reducing sentences for those convicted in connection with the coup attempt, framed by supporters as efforts toward “national reconciliation.” Portella dismissed these initiatives as transparent attempts to shield the perpetrators from legal consequences.

“This so-called pacification really means guaranteeing impunity for those who carried out the coup,” he argued.

The case comes at a crucial moment for Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will soon see Justice Luís Roberto Barroso step down. Portella advocated for appointing a successor committed to democratic principles and workers’ rights.

“We need a minister who defends the interests of the working class, not those of the big bourgeoisie, which is willing to do anything, even support a coup project, in the pursuit of profit,” he concluded.

The trial is being closely watched by political analysts as a test of Brazil’s democratic institutions and their ability to hold accountable those allegedly involved in efforts to undermine the country’s electoral system.