Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has offered a startling and controversial explanation for why he was caught interfering with his electronic ankle monitor: he claims he was suffering from drug-induced hallucinations and paranoia. This defense came during a custody hearing following his dramatic arrest by federal police at his residence in Brasília. The sensational claim has immediately sparked skepticism among political observers and has become the latest twist in the high-stakes legal saga of the right-wing leader.
Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest awaiting the start of a 27-year prison sentence, was taken into custody on suspicion that he was preparing to flee the country. Authorities believed he might have been heading for a foreign embassy to seek asylum, an attempt to escape justice for his role in orchestrating a failed coup attempt against the government. The alleged tampering with his tracking device was a key piece of evidence leading to his arrest, suggesting he was making preparations to disappear.
Bolsonaro provided a detailed, if bizarre, account of his actions. He testified that a potent combination of a strong painkiller and an antidepressant triggered what he described as a “psychotic attack.” In this state, he became convinced that his ankle monitor contained a secret listening device. He admitted to then using a soldering iron in an attempt to disable the purported surveillance equipment before his mind “snapped out of it,” a narrative that contrasts sharply with his earlier claim of acting “out of curiosity.”