Brazil vote: Executives under scrutiny after coup chatter

By DIANE JEANTET
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Weeks ahead of Brazil’s presidential election, police have carried out search warrants targeting several business leaders who allegedly participated in a private chat group that included comments favoring a possible coup and military involvement in politics. The search and seizure warrants aimed at prominent supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro were issued by a Supreme Court justice who heads the nation’s electoral authority, according to police. Many comments were speculative and appeared to reflect personal opinion rather than a coordinated effort to undermine Brazilian democracy. However, they fed into national jitters over whether Bolsonaro is laying the groundwork for an illegal power grab if the vote doesn’t go his way.