The bill that would make it harder to arrest or launch criminal proceedings against lawmakers passed the lower house on Tuesday, prompting Brazilians to protest.
Brazilians held protests in all 26 states and the Federal District on Sunday against a possible pardon for former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies, who were convicted of attempting a coup.
Calls for demonstrations grew after the lower house on Tuesday passed a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to arrest or launch criminal proceedings against lawmakers. The measure now heads to the Senate.
The following day, the lower house voted to fast-track a bill backed by right-wing opposition lawmakers that could grant amnesty to Bolsonaro, his closest allies and hundreds of supporters convicted for their roles in the January 2023 uprising.
The coup plot included a plan to poison his successor and current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and kill a Supreme Court judge.
Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison on Sept. 11 for attempting to stay in power after losing a 2022 reelection bid. He is the first former president convicted of trying to overturn an election in Latin America’s largest economy.
