plotter

Brazil's past has been littered with coups or attempted coups, but no one has ever sat in the dock, and past plotters have been granted amnesty.

Mr Cappelli's answer to those who call the response authoritarian is: "Study history. Amnesty for past coup attempts resulted in new coups. Today's pardoned coup plotter becomes tomorrow's coup plotter."

The US foreign intelligence service said the plotters had hoped to kill a large number of concert-goers.

Success after success followed - and cells of plotters were also increasingly infiltrated by spooks finding secret ways to capture chats about plans.

This was further inflamed when shortly afterwards, the Burkinabé junta said it had foiled a coup plot, alleging the plotters were based in neighbouring Ivory Coast - where Gen Langley then made a visit.