Bolsonaro's Shocking Claim: Hallucinations Behind Ankle Monitor Tampering?!

Coup-Case Turn: Bolsonaro Claims "Hallucinations" Led to Ankle-Monitor Tampering; Denies Escape Attempt

Bolsonaro's Shocking Claim: Hallucinations Behind ...

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, already facing a hefty 27-year prison sentence for his alleged role in plotting to overturn the 2022 election, is now claiming a "psychotic attack" as the reason behind his recent ankle monitor tampering arrest. This is quite a pivot from his earlier, more casual admission of mere "curiosity" about the device. Color me skeptical.

The arrest itself was authorized by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who clearly isn't buying any of this. De Moraes cited concerns that Bolsonaro might try to skip town before his sentence begins. You can't really blame the Justice for being worried – given the circumstances, flight risk seems like an understatement. Bolsonaro, for his part, is digging in his heels, vehemently denying any plans to become an international fugitive.

The whole thing went down in Brasília, and the Supreme Court is scheduled to vote this Monday on whether to uphold Bolsonaro's pre-emptive detention, according to the Associated Press. That's going to be a tense day, to say the least. Word is security officials picked up on the tampering just after midnight Saturday, prompting Justice de Moraes to immediately issue the arrest warrant. He apparently feared Bolsonaro might be angling for asylum in a foreign embassy to avoid serving his time.

According to reports in *The Guardian*, the 70-year-old Bolsonaro is sticking to the story that he wasn't planning on a permanent vacation. He's been under house arrest in a rented mansion since August, which I imagine isn't the most comfortable situation for a former president.

Here's where it gets even more interesting. During a hearing, an assistant judge, Luciana Sorrentino, stated that Bolsonaro claimed to have experienced hallucinations and paranoia after starting a new medication regimen – a strong painkiller and an antidepressant. Apparently, he thought the monitor contained "some wire tap" and was trying to find it, as stated in a Supreme Court document cited by the AP. He reportedly told officials he didn't remember ever having "a breakdown of this magnitude." That's quite a claim.

But wait, there's more! Before this alleged psychotic episode came to light, Bolsonaro initially told officials he was just trying to inspect the monitor, using a soldering iron. Yes, a soldering iron. Apparently, that's how he managed to significantly damage the device's cap. There's even footage of this initial explanation floating around. You can see why people are scratching their heads.

Bolsonaro is adamant that he wasn't trying to escape and that the whole incident happened at his home with his daughter, brother, and an aide present. He claims he stopped messing with the device around midnight. It’s all a bit… convenient.

Unsurprisingly, political observers and Bolsonaro's opponents aren't exactly lining up to buy this latest explanation. And honestly, can you blame them? The story keeps changing, and it just doesn't quite add up. This is a developing story, and we'll keep you updated as more details emerge. But for now, the saga of Jair Bolsonaro continues to be, well, utterly fascinating and more than a little bit bizarre.