Augusto Heleno

General
Augusto Heleno
General Augusto Heleno
Secretary of Institutional Security
	In office; 1 January 2019 – 1 January 2023
President	Jair Bolsonaro
Preceded by	Sérgio Etchegoyen
Succeeded by	Gonçalves Dias
Amazon Military Commander
	In office; 14 September 2007 – 6 April 2009
Preceded by	Raymundo Nonato de Cerqueira Filho
Succeeded by	Luis Carlos Gomes Mattos
Commander of MINUSTAH
	In office; 31 May 2004 – 1 September 2005
Head	Juan Gabriel Valdés
Succeeded by	Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar
Commander of EsPCEx
	In office; 1994–1996
Preceded by	Francisco Ronald da Silva Nogueira
Succeeded by	Mário de Oliveira Seixas
Personal details
Born	Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira; 29 October 1947; Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Party	PRD (Since 2023)
Other political; affiliations	PRP (2018); PATRI (2018–2023);
Spouse	Sônia Pereira
Children	Renata; Mário Márcio
Parents	Ari de Oliveira Pereira (father); Edina Ribeiro (mother);
Occupation	Military
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Brazil
Branch/service	Brazilian Army
Years of service	1966–2011
Rank	General
Commands	Preparatory School for Army Cadets; 5th Armored Cavalry Brigade; Army Physical Capacity Center; United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti; Amazon Military Command; Department of Science and Technology
Awards	Order of Military Merit (Grand Cross - Grã-Cruz); Order of Naval Merit (Grand Officer) ; Order of Aeronautical Merit (Grand Officer) ; Order of Aeronautical Merit (Grand Cross) ; Peacemaker Medal ; Order of Rio Branco (Grand Cross - Grã-Cruz); United Nations Medal (MINUSTAH - Haiti) ; Order of Labour Judiciary Merit (Grand Cross - Grã Cruz); Order of Military Judiciary Merit (High Distinction); Marshal Hermes Medal;
Criminal information
Criminal status	In prison
Convictions	Attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law; Attempted coup d'état; Participation in an armed criminal organization; Qualified damage; Deterioration of protected heritage property;
Trial	Trial for the 2022–2023 Brazilian coup plot (8 – 11 September 2025)
Criminal penalty	21 years in prison
Date apprehended	25 November 2025
Imprisoned at	House arrest

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Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira (born 29 October 1947) is a Brazilian politician and retired general of the Brazilian Army. He was military commander of the Amazon and Chief of the Department of Science and Technology of the Army. Heleno has declared positions against official politics, particularly about the attitude of the international community in regards to Haiti and the indigenous politics of the Brazilian government.

During Jair Bolsonaro presidential campaign of 2018, Bolsonaro invited Heleno Pereira to be his running mate in the election, but his party refused. The general was then invited for Minister of Defence of Bolsonaro's government. However, the nominated minister stepped back and was chosen for the Institutional Security Cabinet.

Augusto Heleno Pereira was investigated by the Federal Police of Brazil, along with other former members of the Bolsonaro government, as a suspect of participating in a coup d'état plot. On 21 November 2024, he was formally indicted, together with other military and civilian suspects. He was formally arrested and sent to jail to have his sentence carried on 25 November 2025 after being found guilty, together with others, of five crimes: attempted coup d'etat, armed criminal organization, violent attempt to abolish the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage to federal property, and deterioration of protected heritage. This was the first time in history that Brazil condemned generals for a coup d'état.