Brazil prosecutor says ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, guilty of violent coup plot

CBS News

6 days ago

Brasilia — A prosecutor asked Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday to find ex-president Jair Bolsonaro guilty of plotting a coup, in closing arguments after a trial that saw President Trump try to intervene on behalf of his right-wing ally. 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 Bolsonaro, a former army officer, and seven others were guilty of participating in "armed criminal association" and had sought to "violently overthrow the democratic order."
After the defense presents its closing arguments, a five-justice panel will decide the fate of the former president. If found guilty, Bolsonaro and his co-defendants could face up to 40 years in prison.
Bolsonaro says he is the victim of political persecution, echoing Mr. Trump's defense when he faced criminal charges before his White House return.
"It's not about imprisoning me; they want to eliminate me," Bolsonaro told news website Poder360 on Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Bolsonaro tried to overturn his 2022 loss in a plot that only failed because the military did not side with him. The plan allegedly included dozens of people and involved a plot to poison Lula and shoot a Brazilian Supreme Court justice. Bolsonaro's defense team has vehemently denied the charges. Bolsonaro has also been barred from running for office until 2030, after casting doubt on the country's electronic voting machines.
After the plot failed, violent Bolsonaro supporters rioted, rampaging through government buildings in the capital Brasilia in scenes that echoed the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol by Mr. Trump's supporters after the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.
The trial has attracted attention from Mr. 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. Mr. 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 U.S. at 50%, again citing what he called a "witch hunt" against Bolsonaro. And on Tuesday, Washington said it was opening an investigation into "unfair trading practices" by Brazil, a move that could provide a legal basis to justify imposing tariffs on South America's largest economy.
Unlike the tariffs that Mr. Trump is slapping on countries around much of the world, including top U.S. allies, the measures against Brazil — which are set to take effect on August 1 — were announced in openly political terms.
Mr. 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.
Unlike many other countries that have been threatened with tariff hikes, the U.S. runs a trade surplus with Brazil, meaning Brazil buys more American goods than the U.S. buys from Brazil. Last year, the U.S. exported about $49 billion worth of goods to Brazil, and Brazil exported just over $42 billion in goods to the U.S., according to Census Bureau figures.
On Friday, Mr. Trump reiterated his claim that Bolsonaro was being unfairly treated.
"They're treating President Bolsonaro very unfairly," Mr. 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 Mr. Trump's "interference," insisting that "no one is above the law."