In Brazil this week an alternate reality is unfolding: a former president, who allegedly tried to incite an insurrection to overturn an election, is on trial. A verdict is expected this week, and he may go to prison for the rest of his life.

On January 8th 2023, Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters broke into government buildings, demanding to overturn the result of the election Bolsonaro had lost. In the aftermath of those events, Bolsonaro was accused of masterminding a plot for a military coup. He denies these claims and says the charges are politically motivated.

President Trump has called the trial a “witch hunt” and gone to extreme measures to try to influence its outcome. But have his attempts to influence the trial backfired?

We speak with Ione Wells, the BBC’s South America correspondent, who has been reporting from inside the trial.

Producers: Viv Jones and Valerio Esposito

Image: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia on July 17, 2025. Mateus Bonomi / AFP via Getty Images