Bolsonaro back in electoral court as he stares into political abyss

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro gestures as he greets supporters at Salgado Filho International Airport, on the day the Electoral Justice begins the trial to determine his political rights, as he arrives in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, June 22, 2023. REUTERS/Diego Vara/File photo

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is clinging to his political future after testing Brazil's democracy to its limits in last year's election, is back in electoral court for a second day of hearings on Tuesday.

If Bolsonaro is found guilty of abusing his power last year for spreading falsehoods to ambassadors about Brazil's electronic voting system, he could be barred from political office until 2030. The federal electoral court (TSE) is unlikely to deliver its verdict on Tuesday, but Benedito Gonçalves, the lead justice on the case, may well cast his vote, setting the tone for the other judges.