A woman in prison for 14 years over ‘lipstick coup’

A woman in Brazil has been closed for 14 years after writing an offensive message in a statue lipstick during riots in Brazil.

Deborah Rodriguez participated in the unrest in January 2023, along with hundreds of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

The Riot saw thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attack government buildings after losing his election in the previous year.

Justice Cristiano Zanin, one of a group of five judges overlooking Rodriguez’s case, emphasized that she was not just sued for graffiti and was convicted of numerous crimes.

Rodriguez was arrested as part of a broader investigation into an alleged coup plot against the newly elected President Lula da Silva.

She has been convicted of numerous crimes, including the destruction of property, membership in a criminal organization and participation in an attempt to coup.

The 39-year-old hairdresser apologized for writing “You lost, an idiot” on the statue of justice outside the Supreme Federal Court-Incident, called “lipstick coup”.

Rodriguez maintains that she has not participated in any violence.

Earlier in court, she maintains that she is a “good citizen”.

“I went to the protests and didn’t imagine being so tumultuous,” Rodriguez said. “I have never done anything illegal in my life.”

Rodriguez’s lawyers said she did not enter buildings during the riots and acted impulsively in the “Heat of the moment”. She regretted her actions. ​

Justice Alexander de Moraes, chairing the case, claims that Rodriguez “deliberately and voluntarily” aligned with protesters who seek to overthrow the government.

He added that Rodriguez had admitted that he had participated in anti -democratic actions in his testimony to police and that gaps in the messages on her phone suggest that she had tried to conceal evidence.

The case has become a rally for Bolsonaro’s supporters, who regard Rodriguez as a victim of political persecution, and claim that the Supreme Court has become too powerful and guerrilla.

In February, a video about Rodriguez became viral on social media. Next month, Bolsonaro shared a post about her on X, calling for amnesty for those involved in civil waves in 2023.

Bolsonaro is also facing criminal proceedings because of the estimated coup attempt. If found guilty, he faces over 40 years in prison.