Jair Bolsonaro claimed he used a soldering iron on his electronic ankle monitor during a drug-induced “psychotic attack,” but then realized his mistake when he “snapped out of it.” This bizarre testimony was given during a custody hearing to explain the tampering that led to his arrest by federal police.
Authorities suspected the former president was preparing to flee to a foreign embassy to avoid his 27-year prison sentence for a failed coup. Bolsonaro denied any plan to escape, asserting that the damage was purely the result of a temporary delusion brought on by prescription drugs.
Political observers are highly skeptical of this complex medical defense, which conflicts with his earlier, simpler claim of acting “out of curiosity.” The conflicting accounts raise serious questions about his trustworthiness.