Despite ankle monitor, defiant ex-Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro says only he can stop China and beat Lula
Bolsonaro wants passport back to meet with ally Trump
Right-wing firebrand says no one else can defeat Lula in 2026
BRASILIA, July 19 — With dark jeans pulled over an ankle monitor attached just hours earlier, Brazil's right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro made clear on Friday that the humiliation of court-ordered restraints would not curb his role in global politics.
In a defiant interview with Reuters at his party's offices, raided at dawn in the latest crackdown from the Supreme Court, Bolsonaro cast himself as the man to renegotiate US tariffs, curb Chinese influence and beat back leftists in Brazil.
'They want to get me out of the political game next year,' he said, referring to an election in which President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to seek a fourth term. 'Without me in the race, Lula could beat anyone.'
Even after Brazil's Supreme Court barred him on Friday from contact with foreign officials, the ex-president insisted he wants to meet with US President Donald Trump, who slapped a 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian goods last week and demanded an end to Bolsonaro's trial for trying to overturn the last election.
While some allies worry Trump's tactic is backfiring, tying Bolsonaro to the economic fallout and rallying support behind Lula, the ex-president remained supportive of his ally in the White House.
'I would never give advice to Trump. Who am I? I respect him,' said Bolsonaro, seated at a table with two volumes within reach: a copy of the Brazilian constitution and a magazine with Trump on the cover. 'His country is an example for us. We're not an example for them.'
Protesters wearing masks depicting US President Donald Trump and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro take part in a protest in defence of retail employment and national sovereignty at 25 de Marco, a popular shopping street in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 18, 2025. — AFP pic
In court orders on Friday, based on allegations that Bolsonaro had courted Trump's intervention in legal matters, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes slapped the ex-president with a curfew and ankle monitor and banned him from using social media, approaching foreign embassies or dealing with foreign officials.
Bolsonaro called Moraes a 'dictator' and described the latest court orders as acts of 'cowardice.'
'I feel supreme humiliation,' he said, when asked how it felt to wear the ankle monitor. 'I am 70 years old, I was president of the republic for four years.'
Bolsonaro denied any plans to leave the country, but said he would meet with Trump if he could get back his passport, which police seized last year. He also said he wanted to discuss Trump's tariff threat with the top US diplomat in Brazil.
Trump has praised Bolsonaro, but told journalists this week that he is 'not like a friend.' When pressed for details of their relationship, the Brazilian former army captain began describing the advance of Chinese interests in Latin America.
'China is taking over Brazil. Many see that in Brazil I am the person who can stop China, as long as I have a warlike, nuclear nation behind me. Which one? Up north,' he said.
He said the BRICS bloc of developing nations, formed originally by Brazil, Russia, India and China, had become a 'brotherhood of dictatorships and war criminals.'
While hosting the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro this month, Lula compared Trump to an unwanted 'emperor,' drawing the ire of the US president, who threatened to raise tariffs on the group for its 'anti-American policies.' — Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
23 minutes ago
- The Star
Lawyers for Brazil's Bolsonaro say he did not violate social media ban
BRASILIA (Reuters) -Lawyers for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that he did not violate a court-ordered social media ban, after the top judge accused him of breaching the order and demanded an explanation from his lawyers. In a document sent to Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing an investigation into allegations that Bolsonaro plotted a coup, Bolsonaro's lawyers asked the court to clarify the exact scope of the social media ban. Moraes ordered the ban on Friday, along with mandating he wear an ankle bracelet, among other measures, alleging he courted the interference of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has tied steep new tariffs on Brazilian goods to what he called a "witch hunt" against Bolsonaro. On Monday, Moraes accused Bolsonaro of violating the order by giving an interview to journalists, pointing to clips the news outlets later posted on their social media accounts. The judge gave Bolsonaro's legal team 24 hours to explain the media appearance, warning that failure to comply could lead to an arrest warrant. Earlier on Monday, Moraes had issued a clarification of Friday's ruling, which stated that Bolsonaro's use of social media included use through third parties. The clarification generated debate among legal experts regarding if it would include interviews to news outlets. Bolsonaro's lawyers on Tuesday argued that media outlets sharing his remarks on social media was an "uncontrollable" development beyond their client's control. They have asked the justice to clarify the exact scope of the order and whether it prohibits giving interviews to the press. The lawyers added that Bolsonaro will make no further public remarks until the court provides that clarification. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia; Writing by Andre Romani; Editing by Sarah Morland and Brendan O'Boyle)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Pakistan jails eight from former PM Imran Khan's party 2023 riots
LAHORE (Reuters) -A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced eight senior members of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party to 10 years in prison late on Tuesday over riots that targeted military sites following Khan's 2023 arrest, their lawyer said. Khan is on trial on similar charges, being tried separately. The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the residence of a senior commander in Lahore. The prosecution is still presenting witnesses in Khan's proceedings, and Tuesday's verdict does not directly affect his case. The sentences, issued in a jail trial in Lahore, are among a series of prosecutions involving Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Defence lawyer Burhan Moazzam said they would appeal. 'It is surprising that six people were acquitted while eight were convicted, even though they were all charged under the same allegations,' he said. The case relates to one of several incidents stemming from the May 9 unrest, involving alleged incitement during attacks near a major intersection in Lahore. Moazzam said separate trials were ongoing in connection with other incidents that day. Those sentenced include senior PTI figures who held positions in Khan's Punjab government: Yasmin Rashid, a former provincial health minister; Ejaz Chaudhry, a senator; Mehmoodur Rashid, a former housing minister; and Umar Sarfraz Cheema, a former provincial governor and aide to Khan. The court also acquitted PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi who is in custody in connection with other cases, and it was not immediately clear whether the acquittal would lead to his release. Commenting on the verdict, junior law minister Aqeel Malik told local media the decision was 'in line with the law and the constitution.' Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, remains in prison facing multiple cases, including charges of corruption, contempt, and disclosure of official secrets. He denies wrongdoing and says the cases are politically motivated. The military denies targeting PTI. Authorities say the May 9 violence caused billions in damage and led to over 3,000 arrests in Punjab. (Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore and Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Additional reporting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Obama reiterates conclusion of attempted Russian interference in 2016 election
FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Barack Obama attends the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The office of U.S. Democratic former President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that a document issued last week by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence does not undercut the conclusion that Russia tried to influence the 2016 U.S. election but that it did not manipulate any votes. "Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes," Obama's office said in a statement. President Donald Trump accused Obama of "treason" on Tuesday, blaming him, without providing evidence, for leading an effort to falsely tie him to Russia and undermine his 2016 presidential campaign. "These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction," Obama's office said. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler)
