Jair Bolsonaro claimed that a drug-induced state of paranoia and delusion caused him to believe his electronic ankle monitor was a secret listening device. He testified in a custody hearing that this conviction, brought on by a “psychotic attack,” led him to use a soldering iron to damage the court-mandated tracking equipment.
The tampering was the catalyst for his arrest by federal police, who suspected he was preparing to flee Brazil for a foreign embassy to escape his 27-year prison sentence for a failed coup. The former president maintained in court that he had no intention of escaping his house arrest.
Political analysts are highly suspicious of his dramatic narrative, pointing out that it completely supersedes his earlier, much simpler claim of acting “out of curiosity.” The controversy adds to the significant legal and political pressure on the former leader.