Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has claimed that he has been the victim of political persecution since leaving office nearly a year ago.
He told tens of thousands of supporters in São Paulo that the coup allegations against him were “lies.”
He also called for amnesty for hundreds of believers convicted of attacks on public buildings.
Police are investigating whether Bolsonaro staged a coup attempt after losing the 2022 election.
At a rally Sunday in Brazil’s largest city, the 68-year-old former president denied the allegations against him as politically motivated.
He said it was time for Brazil to forget the past and move forward.
He also talked about his next presidential election in 2026 in his speech.
Mr Bolsonaro is still banned from running for eight years for undermining Brazil’s electoral system and claiming that the previous election was fraudulent, even though there was no evidence of election fraud.
A large crowd of people dressed in yellow and green, the colours of Brazil’s flag, gathered to hear Bolsonaro’s speech. The people I spoke to said they were demonstrating for freedom, especially freedom of speech.