Prosecutor asks Brazil's Supreme Court to find Bolsonaro guilty of coup
Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election won by his left-wing opponent, current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The prosecution told the court that former army officer Bolsonaro and seven others were guilty of participating in "armed criminal association" and had sought to "violently overthrow the democratic order."
The case now goes to Justice Alexandre de Moraes. If found guilty, Bolsonaro and his co-defendants could face up to 40 years in prison.
Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019-2023 before Lula replaced him, says he is the victim of a political persecution.
Prosecutors say Bolsonaro tried to overturn his 2022 loss in a plot that only failed because the military did not side with him.
Violent supporters then rioted, rampaging through government buildings in the capital Brasilia in scenes that echoed the assault on the US Capitol by Trump's supporters after the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.
The trial has attracted attention from Trump, who returned to power in the 2024 election and continues to claim -- despite this being rejected repeatedly by the courts -- that he won in 2020.
Trump has repeatedly called on social media for Bolsonaro's trial to be stopped, accusing the authorities in Brazil of mounting a "witch hunt" and a "disgrace."
On July 9, he took his campaign to extraordinary new levels by announcing plans to tariff Brazilian imports to the United States at 50 percent.
Unlike the tariffs Trump is slapping on countries around much of the world, including top US allies, the measures against Brazil -- which are set to take effect August 1 -- were announced in openly political terms.
Trump cited "Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections" among other issues, warning of further escalation if the country retaliated -- something Lula indicated would happen.
On Friday, Trump reiterated his claim that Bolsonaro was being unfairly treated.
"They're treating President Bolsonaro very unfairly," Trump told reporters, calling him "a good man."
"I know the honest ones, and I know the crooked ones," he added.
Lula has hit back at Trump's "interference," insisting that "no one is above the law."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
43 minutes ago
- ABC News
Pew finds improved global view of China as Donald Trump hurts perceptions of US
A majority of Australians say it is more important to have strong economic ties with China than with the United States, according to new research from the Washington-based Pew Research Centre. Pew's latest survey of 24 countries found that opinion towards the US and its president, Donald Trump, had deteriorated, while views of China and its president, Xi Jinping, had improved in many countries worldwide. More than half — 53 per cent — of Australians surveyed said they favoured placing more importance on economic ties with China, a large increase from 39 per cent in 2021. Only 42 per cent of Australians said it was more important to prioritise economic ties with the US — a drop from 52 per cent who said the same thing in 2021. Pew found the US was viewed more favourably than China in eight countries, China was viewed more favourably in seven, and the two were viewed about equally in the remainder. Pew did not provide definitive explanations for the shifts, but Laura Silver, associate director of research, said it is possible that views of a country may change when those of another superpower shift. "As the US potentially looks like a less reliable partner and people have limited confidence, for example, in Trump to lead the global economy, China may look different in some people's eyes," Dr Silver said. Also, China's human rights policies and its handling of the pandemic — which were related to negative views of the country in the past — may not weigh as much this time, she said. A group of Democratic senators this week accused the Trump administration of ceding global influence to China by shuttering foreign aid programs, imposing tariffs on allies, cracking down on elite universities, and restricting visas for international students. In the Pew findings, 35 per cent of those in 10 high-income countries surveyed consistently — including Canada, France, Germany and Italy — have favourable opinions of the US, down from 51 per cent from last year. By comparison, 32 per cent of them have positive views of China, up from last year's 23 per cent. And 24 per cent of them say they have confidence in Mr Trump, compared with 53 per cent last year for then-US president Joe Biden. Mr Xi scored a slight improvement: 22 per cent of those in these rich countries say they have confidence in the Chinese president, up from last year's 17 per cent. However, people in Israel have far more favourable views of the US than of China: 83 per cent of Israelis like the US, compared with 33 per cent who say they have positive views of China. Some 69 per cent of Israelis said they have confidence in Mr Trump, while only 9 per cent expressed confidence in Mr Xi. Pew surveyed more than 30,000 people across 25 countries — including the US, which was excluded from the comparison — from January 8 to April 26, 2025. The margins of error for each country ranged from plus or minus 2.5 to plus or minus 4.7. China's economy slowed slightly in the last quarter as Mr Trump's trade war escalated, but it still expanded at a robust 5.2 per cent pace, the Chinese government said on Tuesday, local time. That compares with 5.4 per cent annual growth in January-March. Chinese authorities said that in quarterly terms, the world's second-largest economy expanded by 1.1 per cent. In the first half of the year, the Chinese economy grew at a 5.3 per cent annual pace, the official data show. However, some analysts said actual growth may have been significantly slower. Zichun Huang of Capital Economics noted that investments in fixed assets such as factory equipment rose only 2.8 per cent in the first half of the year, implying 2.9 per cent annual growth in May and a mere 0.5 per cent increase in June. The 5.2 per cent growth rate overstates the pace of expansion by about 1.5 percentage points, she said. Capital Economics' activity proxy shows growth in China's gross domestic product, or GDP, at less than 4 per cent year-on-year in April and May, Dr Huang said, forecasting annual growth of 3.5 per cent for full-year 2025. "The economic outlook for the rest of the year remains challenging," she wrote in a report. Dr Huang added, though, that "political pressure to meet annual growth targets, even if only on paper, means that published GDP growth will be much higher". A key factor behind the latest upbeat data was strong exports. On Monday, China reported that its exports accelerated in June, rising 5.8 per cent from a year earlier, up from a 4.8 per cent increase in May. Production of high-tech products, vehicles and electrical machinery and equipment rose by about 10 per cent or more from a year earlier. A reprieve on painfully high tariffs on Chinese exports to the US prompted a rush of orders by companies and consumers as the two sides resumed trade talks. Chinese companies also have expanded exports to and offshore manufacturing in other countries such as Vietnam, helping to offset the impact of higher tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. But a 0.1 per cent decline in consumer prices in the first half of 2025 showed continuing weakness in domestic demand, a long-term challenge for the ruling communist party as the Chinese population declines and ages. Those troubles deepened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Falling property prices and slowing retail sales were also of concern, said Lynne Song of ING Economics. Price cutting by Chinese manufacturers to help compete in overseas markets is adding to deflationary pressures that ultimately erode their competitiveness, Louise Loo of Oxford Economics said in a report. Chinese leaders have set a growth target of 5 per cent for this year, in line with last year's growth. A resumption of US tariffs of up to 245 per cent if Washington and Beijing fail to meet an August 12 deadline for a new trade deal could derail the recovery in exports, a major driver of growth and employment. ABC/AP
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘Can you hit Moscow': Donald Trump's extraordinary question to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed as US puts pressure on Putin to end war
President Donald Trump asked Volodymyr Zelensky whether he could 'hit' Russia's two largest cities during an extraordinary phone call, it has been reported. The contents of a call between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart were revealed by the UK's Financial Times on Tuesday, just one day after the US President ramped up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. "Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? . . . Can you hit St Petersburg too?" the US president asked his Ukrainian counterpart in a conversation held on July 4. Citing multiple sources, the outlet said the US President was asking about whether Ukraine could make Russia 'feel the pain' of the ongoing war. 'Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons,' Mr Zelensky reportedly said in response. President Trump responded to the reports by saying Ukraine 'should not target Moscow', with the White House saying the US President was "merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing". When asked whether he was now on Ukraine's side, the US President said he was 'on nobody's side'. 'You know the side I'm on? Humanities side,' Trump said. 'I want to stop the killing of thousands of people a week. I want to stop the killing. I want the killing to stop in the Ukraine-Russia war. That's the side I'm on.' The contents of Trump's call with Zelensky were revealed one day after the US President announced his administration would provide Ukraine with a major haul of 'top of the line weapons' and issued an ultimatum to President Putin. During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President Trump said he was 'very unhappy' with Putin and that if the Russian President failed to agree a deal to end the war within 50 days the US would impose a '100 per cent' tariffs on Russian goods and Russia's trade partners. "We're going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple,' President Trump said. The secondary sanctions would see India and China hit with massive tariffs unless they stopped buying Russian oil, a trade worth hundreds of billions. Trump also said the US would allow NATO allies to transfer Patriot missile systems, which would boost Ukraine's air defence. The US will then replenish the stocks in the countries that send them, with the cost being borne by the US's NATO allies. "We're going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they'll be sent to NATO," Trump said. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days. Rutte said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada all wanted to be a part of rearming Ukraine.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Hegseth to remove 2000 National Guard troops from LA
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of half of the 4000 National Guard troops who had been sent to Los Angeles to protect federal property and personnel during a spate of protests last month. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the decision owed to the success of the mission. "Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," Parnell said in a statement. "As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2000 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission." Trump deployed the California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June, against the wishes of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, to quell protests triggered by immigration raids on workplaces by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. He also sent about 700 Marines. Despite legal challenges, a US appeals court let Trump retain control of California's National Guard. But his decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on US soil and inflamed political tension in the country's second-most-populous city. The Pentagon has defended the deployment, saying safeguarding ICE agents ensures they can do their jobs. Even after the withdrawal of those military personnel from Los Angeles, 2000 National Guard troops would remain in the city along with the roughly 700 Marines. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of half of the 4000 National Guard troops who had been sent to Los Angeles to protect federal property and personnel during a spate of protests last month. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the decision owed to the success of the mission. "Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," Parnell said in a statement. "As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2000 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission." Trump deployed the California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June, against the wishes of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, to quell protests triggered by immigration raids on workplaces by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. He also sent about 700 Marines. Despite legal challenges, a US appeals court let Trump retain control of California's National Guard. But his decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on US soil and inflamed political tension in the country's second-most-populous city. The Pentagon has defended the deployment, saying safeguarding ICE agents ensures they can do their jobs. Even after the withdrawal of those military personnel from Los Angeles, 2000 National Guard troops would remain in the city along with the roughly 700 Marines. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of half of the 4000 National Guard troops who had been sent to Los Angeles to protect federal property and personnel during a spate of protests last month. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the decision owed to the success of the mission. "Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," Parnell said in a statement. "As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2000 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission." Trump deployed the California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June, against the wishes of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, to quell protests triggered by immigration raids on workplaces by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. He also sent about 700 Marines. Despite legal challenges, a US appeals court let Trump retain control of California's National Guard. But his decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on US soil and inflamed political tension in the country's second-most-populous city. The Pentagon has defended the deployment, saying safeguarding ICE agents ensures they can do their jobs. Even after the withdrawal of those military personnel from Los Angeles, 2000 National Guard troops would remain in the city along with the roughly 700 Marines. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of half of the 4000 National Guard troops who had been sent to Los Angeles to protect federal property and personnel during a spate of protests last month. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the decision owed to the success of the mission. "Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," Parnell said in a statement. "As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2000 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission." Trump deployed the California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June, against the wishes of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, to quell protests triggered by immigration raids on workplaces by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. He also sent about 700 Marines. Despite legal challenges, a US appeals court let Trump retain control of California's National Guard. But his decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on US soil and inflamed political tension in the country's second-most-populous city. The Pentagon has defended the deployment, saying safeguarding ICE agents ensures they can do their jobs. Even after the withdrawal of those military personnel from Los Angeles, 2000 National Guard troops would remain in the city along with the roughly 700 Marines.
