Brazil police raid home of Bolsonaro, accused of plotting coup
And he lashed out at Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, a Bolsonaro adversary who on Friday ordered the ex-president to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and not leave his home at night.
Moraes, one of the judges in Bolsonaro's trial for allegedly seeking to nullify leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva 2022 election victory, said the measures were necessary given the accused and his son's "hostile acts" against Brazil.
This came after Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on the South American powerhouse for what he said was a "witch hunt" against his ally Bolsonaro.
Moraes, said Eduardo Bolsonaro, "has long abandoned any semblance of impartiality and now operates as a political gangster in robes, using the Supreme Court as his personal weapon."
The judge was "trying to criminalize President Trump and the US government. Powerless against them, he chose to take my father hostage," he added in a letter he signed as a "Brazilian congressman in exile."
'Supreme humiliation'
Bolsonaro described Morae's order Friday as a "supreme humiliation."
It also prohibited him from approaching foreign embassies or leaving his home between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am, on weekends or public holidays.
"I never thought about leaving Brazil, I never thought about going to an embassy, Bolsonaro insisted on emerging from the justice secretariat offices in Brasilia.
The former army captain denies he was involved in an attempt to wrest power back from Lula as part of an alleged coup plot that prosecutors say failed only for a lack of military backing.
After the plot fizzled, rioting supporters known as "Bolsonaristas" raided government buildings in 2023 as they urged the military to oust Lula. Bolsonaro was abroad at the time.
The case against Bolsonaro carries echoes of Trump's failed prosecution over the January 6, 2021 attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol to try and reverse his election loss.
Both men have claimed to be victims of political persecution, and Trump has stepped in in defense of his ally, to the anger of Lula who has labeled the tariff threat "unacceptable blackmail."
Washington also announced an investigation into "unfair trading practices" by Brazil, a move that could provide a legal basis for imposing tariffs on South America's largest economy.
On Tuesday, prosecutors asked the trial judges of the Supreme Court to find Bolsonaro guilty of "armed criminal association" and planning to "violently overthrow the democratic order."
The defense must still present its closing arguments, after which a five-member panel of judges including Moraes will decide the ex-president's fate.
Bolsonaro and seven co-accused risk up to 40 years in prison.
He has repeatedly stated his desire to be a candidate in presidential elections next year, but has been ruled ineligible to hold office by a court that found him guilty of spreading misinformation about Brazil's electoral system.
Moraes has repeatedly clashed with Bolsonaro and other rightwing figures he has accused of spreading fake news.
© 2025 AFP
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France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Bolsonaro's son, known as Number 3, pushes for US pressure on Brazil
Eduardo Bolsonaro is causing more commotion than he initially planned. The third son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been living in the United States since February while under investigation in Brazil for allegedly meddling in his father's coup-related case. Nicknamed "Number 3" by his father in a military-like manner, the 41-year-old has been in close contact with the White House, successfully lobbying for sanctions against the president of Brazil 's Supreme Court, Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing his father's prosecution for allegedly plotting a coup in 2022 following now-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva 's victory. Moraes is also known for having temporarily banned Elon Musk's social media platform X in Brazil over its refusal to comply with court orders linked to widespread disinformation posted during the 2022 presidential race. US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Bolsonaro, first sending a letter to Lula demanding that the charges against Bolsonaro be dropped, and finally pulling out his favourite card since entering the White House: tariffs. Trump has threatened a 50 percent levy on Brazilian goods, calling the prosecution a 'witch hunt' that 'should end immediately'. On Friday, Brazil's Supreme Court issued search warrants and restraining orders against Jair Bolsonaro, banning him from contacting foreign officials for allegedly courting Trump's interference in the case. Federal police raided Bolsonaro's home and he was ordered to wear an ankle monitor. Bolsonaro was also banned from using social media and approaching embassies, according to the decision issued by Moraes, who cited a "concrete possibility" of the former president fleeing the country. The Supreme Court judge defended the measures as necessary given what he described as the father and son's "hostile acts" against Brazil. Washington responded by hitting Moraes with visa restrictions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Moraes' court orders a "political witch hunt" that had prompted him to make immediate visa revocations for "Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members". Trump's tariff threats seem to have bolstered the ruling Brazilian left, said Nicolas Saldias, a Latin America analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit to the The Guardian. Saldias said that Lula, who has started wearing a blue cap with the words "Brazil belongs to the Brazilians," stood to benefit significantly from Trump's pro-Bolsonaro intervention. "He's going to be seen as the defender of Brazilian nationalism, a kind of progressive nationalism," he said. For his part, Bolsonaro has been trying to protect his image in the eyes of the Brazilian public, saying on Tuesday that he and his son 'would've opposed the tariffs'. The former president also told Brazilian daily Poder 360 that he could fix the problem that he believes is escalating due to what he described as Lula's provocation of the US, but added that his current circumstances made it difficult. 'I don't even have a passport,' he said. Who is the 'diplomat' behind it all? Jair Bolsonaro may not have a passport, but his 'Number 3', born in Rio de Janeiro and a federal deputy for the state of Sao Paulo since 2015, clearly does – and has been making strategic use of it. In a video recorded outside the White House and posted Thursday on the federal congressman's YouTube channel, which has more than 6 million subscribers, Eduardo Bolsonaro announced that he had just wrapped up a series of meetings with US officials. 'Decisions are being made,' he said, alluding to possible sanctions against Moraes. Paulo Figueiredo – a far-right influencer who has been charged with taking part in the alleged coup – said on Wednesday that he had met with US officials and that decisions towards Brazil were not only "on the table" but were 'a priority' for the US president. It isn't the first time that Number 3 has worked as a 'diplomat' for his father's agenda. Eduardo, the only member of the Bolsonaro family fluent in English, quickly became an informal ambassador abroad during his father's campaign. His role representing Brazil's far right on the international stage began with the family's connection to Olavo de Carvalho, the late far-right ideologue who lived in the US, and Filipe Martins, one of Olavo's closest disciples with ties to white supremacists. Martins later became an international advisor to Bolsonaro. The Brazilian congressman embraced Carvalho's network, later aligning with figures such as Steve Bannon – Trump's former strategic advisor – helping introduce Trump-style populism into Brazilian politics. In a 2019 interview with Brazilian Piaui magazine, Eduardo Bolsonaro described his bond with Bannon as based on shared conservative values and a common worldview, saying the accusations of racism or extremism against Bannon had never bothered him. "Everyone who is right-wing and steps outside of political correctness receives these labels," he said. "When I heard this kind of accusation against him, in my mind it was a positive point in favour of Steve Bannon." Back in 2019, Bolsonaro announced his intention to nominate his son as Brazil's ambassador to Washington. Eduardo then began meeting with senators to gather support for the appointment, which required Senate approval. But he faced strong resistance from some lawmakers, and the government was never able to secure the necessary votes. Facing mounting pressure, Eduardo ultimately withdrew his candidacy, declaring in a Chamber of Deputies speech that he would remain in Brazil to defend conservative values and support his father's government. 'I'm staying to ensure the tsunami of the 2018 election becomes a permanent wave,' he said. A narrative he has clung to relentlessly for the past seven years.
LeMonde
4 hours ago
- LeMonde
Brazil police raid home of Bolsonaro, accused of plotting coup
Brazilian police raided Jair Bolsonaro's home Friday, July 18, as a judge imposed further restrictions on the far-right former leader while he stands trial on coup charges that have vexed US President and ally Donald Trump. His son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman who recently moved to the United States to lobby for his father, wrote on X that federal police carried out a "raid on my father's home this morning." He lashed out at Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, a Bolsonaro adversary who on Friday ordered the ex-president to wear an electronic ankle bracelet, not leave his home at night, or use social media. Moraes, one of the judges in Bolsonaro's trial for allegedly seeking to nullify leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's 2022 election victory, said the measures were necessary given the "hostile acts" against Brazil by the accused and his son. This came after Trump announced a 50% tariff on the South American powerhouse for what he said was a "witch hunt" against his ally Bolsonaro. Moraes, said Eduardo Bolsonaro, "has long abandoned any semblance of impartiality and now operates as a political gangster in robes, using the Supreme Court as his personal weapon." The judge was "trying to criminalize President Trump and the US government. Powerless against them, he chose to take my father hostage," he added in a letter he signed as a "Brazilian congressman in exile." 'Supreme humiliation' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that Washington was revoking a US visa for Moraes for his "political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro." Accusing him of creating a "persecution and censorship complex," Rubio also announced visa restrictions on other judges who side with Moraes, as well as their immediate family members. Bolsonaro, 70, described the Moraes order Friday as a "supreme humiliation" and said the prohibitions were "suffocating." It also prohibited him from approaching foreign embassies, and confined him to his home on weekdays between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am, and all day on weekends or public holidays. "I never thought about leaving Brazil, I never thought about going to an embassy," Bolsonaro insisted on emerging from the justice secretariat offices in Brasilia. He had been taken there after the raid, during which police seized cash. His defense team in a statement expressed "surprise and indignation" at the new measures. The former army captain denies he was involved in an attempt to wrest power back from Lula as part of an alleged coup plot that prosecutors say failed only for a lack of military backing. After the plot fizzled, rioting supporters known as "Bolsonaristas" raided government buildings in early 2023 as they urged the military to oust Lula. Bolsonaro was abroad at the time. The case against Bolsonaro carries echoes of Trump's failed prosecution over the January 6, 2021 attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol to try and reverse his election loss to Joe Biden. Both men have claimed to be victims of political persecution, and Trump has stepped in in defense of his ally, to the anger of Lula who has labeled the tariff threat "unacceptable blackmail." Washington also announced an investigation into "unfair trading practices" by Brazil, a move that could provide a legal basis for imposing tariffs on South America's largest economy. On Tuesday, prosecutors asked the trial judges of the Supreme Court to find Bolsonaro guilty of "armed criminal association" and planning to "violently overthrow the democratic order." The defense must still present its closing arguments, after which a five-member panel of judges, including Moraes, will decide the ex-president's fate. Bolsonaro and seven co-accused risk up to 40 years in prison.
France 24
14 hours ago
- France 24
Brazil police raid home of Bolsonaro, accused of plotting coup
Son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman who recently moved to the United States to lobby for his father, wrote on X that federal police carried out a "raid on my father's home this morning." And he lashed out at Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, a Bolsonaro adversary who on Friday ordered the ex-president to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and not leave his home at night. Moraes, one of the judges in Bolsonaro's trial for allegedly seeking to nullify leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva 2022 election victory, said the measures were necessary given the accused and his son's "hostile acts" against Brazil. This came after Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on the South American powerhouse for what he said was a "witch hunt" against his ally Bolsonaro. Moraes, said Eduardo Bolsonaro, "has long abandoned any semblance of impartiality and now operates as a political gangster in robes, using the Supreme Court as his personal weapon." The judge was "trying to criminalize President Trump and the US government. Powerless against them, he chose to take my father hostage," he added in a letter he signed as a "Brazilian congressman in exile." 'Supreme humiliation' Bolsonaro described Morae's order Friday as a "supreme humiliation." It also prohibited him from approaching foreign embassies or leaving his home between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am, on weekends or public holidays. "I never thought about leaving Brazil, I never thought about going to an embassy, Bolsonaro insisted on emerging from the justice secretariat offices in Brasilia. The former army captain denies he was involved in an attempt to wrest power back from Lula as part of an alleged coup plot that prosecutors say failed only for a lack of military backing. After the plot fizzled, rioting supporters known as "Bolsonaristas" raided government buildings in 2023 as they urged the military to oust Lula. Bolsonaro was abroad at the time. The case against Bolsonaro carries echoes of Trump's failed prosecution over the January 6, 2021 attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol to try and reverse his election loss. Both men have claimed to be victims of political persecution, and Trump has stepped in in defense of his ally, to the anger of Lula who has labeled the tariff threat "unacceptable blackmail." Washington also announced an investigation into "unfair trading practices" by Brazil, a move that could provide a legal basis for imposing tariffs on South America's largest economy. On Tuesday, prosecutors asked the trial judges of the Supreme Court to find Bolsonaro guilty of "armed criminal association" and planning to "violently overthrow the democratic order." The defense must still present its closing arguments, after which a five-member panel of judges including Moraes will decide the ex-president's fate. Bolsonaro and seven co-accused risk up to 40 years in prison. He has repeatedly stated his desire to be a candidate in presidential elections next year, but has been ruled ineligible to hold office by a court that found him guilty of spreading misinformation about Brazil's electoral system. Moraes has repeatedly clashed with Bolsonaro and other rightwing figures he has accused of spreading fake news. © 2025 AFP
