'Attempt to poison me did not work': Brazil's Lula reveals assassination plot against him as Bolsonaro faces coup allegations

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday revealed an alleged attempt to poison him and vice president Geraldo Alckmin just days before they assumed office in 2022.
Speaking at an event at the presidential palace, Lula expressed gratitude for surviving the plot. “I have to be very thankful now, even more so because I am alive. The attempt to poison me and vice president Alckmin did not work, we are here,” he said, according to CNN.
The revelation coincides with escalating legal troubles for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who, along with 36 others, face indictment for allegedly plotting a coup after Lula's electoral victory.
Brazil's federal police report submitted to South American country's supreme court accused Bolsonaro of having "full knowledge" of plans to prevent Lula from taking office.

The extensive report, spanning hundred pages, outlined alleged plans to assassinate vice president Alckmin and supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes using poison and explosives.
According to CNN, five suspects, including Bolsonaro's former adviser and retired general Mario Fernandes, were arrested earlier this week. The group reportedly sought to establish an "Institutional Crisis Management Office" to seize control of the government.

Bolsonaro responded to the allegations on X, saying that he had not yet reviewed the charges. “We have to see what is in this indictment by the federal police. I will wait for the lawyer. This, obviously, will go to the attorney general's Office. It is at the PGR that the fight begins. I cannot expect anything from a team that uses creativity to denounce me."" he said.

Bolsonaro also accused Justice Moraes of leading a biased investigation, claiming that evidence was fabricated and suspects were detained without proper charges, as reported by the CNN.
Among those indicted are Bolsonaro’s former defense minister Walter Braga Netto, ex-Security Chief Augusto Heleno, and other senior officials. Bolsonaro’s son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, dismissed the allegations on X, remarking, “As disgusting as it may be to think about killing someone, it is not a crime.”
The revelations added to tensions following the January 8 riots, where Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in protest of Lula's presidency.