Latest news with #politicalpersecution
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Rubio: US revokes visa for Brazil judge over Bolsonaro ‘witch hunt'
The United States on Friday revoked a visa for a prominent Brazilian judge hours after he restricted activities of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro over charges of plotting a coup. 'Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes's political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro created a persecution and censorship complex so sweeping that it not only violates basic rights of Brazilians, but also extends beyond Brazil's shores to target Americans,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. Rubio said the visa restrictions would also apply to judges who side with Moraes on the court, as well as the justices' immediate family members. Moraes has long sparred with Bolsonaro, an ally of US President Donald Trump. Both Trump and Bolsonaro have claimed to be victims of political persecution, and the former frequently verbally attacks judges at home over their rulings. Bolsonaro is accused of plotting a coup reminiscent of the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by Trump's supporters after his election loss to President Joe Biden. Rubio's order came as Moraes ordered the ex-president to wear an electronic ankle bracelet, not leave his home at night, or use social media. Trump has already announced a 50 percent tariff on Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, to pressure the country now led by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Trump says Democratic rival Schiff should be 'brought to justice' for alleged fraud
WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday a top antagonist, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, should be "brought to justice" for alleged mortgage fraud, in a move the California Democrat said amounted to political persecution. Schiff, a leading player in Trump's first impeachment in 2020, denied wrongdoing. "This is just Donald Trump's latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies," he wrote on social media. Trump said a U.S. housing finance agency, Fannie Mae, had concluded that the senator had engaged in a "sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud" for declaring a house he owned in Maryland as his primary residence to get a lower mortgage rate. "Mortgage Fraud is very serious, and CROOKED Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice," he said on his Truth Social platform. The New York Post reported the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae, had sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Officials at the DOJ, Fannie Mae, and FHFA declined to comment. Schiff, like some other members of Congress, owns a residence in the Washington area as well as in his home state, and a spokesperson said lenders who provided mortgages for both homes were aware that he used both of them year-round. Schiff has been a top Trump target since 2019, when he led the House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into whether Trump withheld aid to Ukraine to pressure that country to investigate Democrat Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Trump was impeached in the Democratic-led House, but the Republican-controlled Senate did not convict him.
News24
10-07-2025
- Business
- News24
‘Leave Bolsonaro alone': Trump threatens Brazil unless it drops case against ex-president
US President Donald Trump demanded that Brazil abandon the trial of ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro. He threatened Brazil with a 50% tariff on one of its main steel suppliers. Brazil is the second-largest exporter of steel to the US after Canada. Brazil and the United States escalated their row on Wednesday over US President Donald Trump's support for coup-accused ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, with the American president slapping a 50% tariff on one of its main steel suppliers. Leftist Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva threatened to reciprocate. Trump has strongly criticised the prosecution of right-wing ally Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly plotting to cling on to power after losing 2022 elections to Lula. Brasilia on Wednesday summoned Washington's top envoy to the country to explain an embassy statement describing Bolsonaro as a victim of 'political persecution' - echoing Trump's claims of a 'witch hunt' against the 70-year-old Brazilian firebrand. Trump then announced he would slap a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports starting on 1 August, citing 'Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections' and warning of escalation if the country retaliates. READ | 'We are not going to stand for this': Trump demands Israel drops 'witch hunt' case against Netanyahu In a letter addressed to Lula, Trump criticised the treatment of Bolsonaro as an 'international disgrace' and said the trial 'should not be taking place'. He added Washington would launch an investigation into Brazil's trade practices. While Trump has been issuing letters to trading partners - focusing on those with which his country runs a deficit - Brazil had until now not been among those threatened with higher duties come 1 August. The South American powerhouse is the second-largest exporter of steel to the US after Canada, shipping four million tons of the metal in 2024. The new 50% tariff was independent of sector-specific levies, with the US recently doubling duties on steel and aluminium imports to 50%. Lula wrote on X that 'any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in light of the Brazilian Law of Economic Reciprocity'. Trade between the two countries reached $41.7 billion between January and June, with $20 billion for exports from Brazil and $21.7 billion for US products, according to Brazilian government data. On Monday, Trump angered Lula by urging Brazilian authorities to 'LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE', in a post on social media. They have done nothing but come after him, day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year! Donald Trump Lula, who narrowly beat Bolsonaro in a divisive election in 2022, hit back at Trump's 'interference', insisting that 'no one is above the law.' Bolsonaro 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. Dado Galdieri/Bloomberg via Getty Images The case against Bolsonaro carries echoes of Trump's prosecution over the 6 January 2021 attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol to try and reverse his election loss. Trump pleaded not guilty, and the case was abandoned when he was re-elected president. The cases have drawn the Trump and Bolsonaro families together, with the Brazilian ex-leader's sons lobbying for US sanctions against one of the Supreme Court judges sitting on the ex-president's trial. In his post on Monday, Trump suggested Bolsonaro was the favourite in presidential elections in 2026, despite him being banned from running for spreading disinformation about Brazil's voting system. Bolsonaro thanked Trump for his defence of 'peace, justice and liberty' in a social media post. On Wednesday, the US embassy in Brasilia issued a statement to 'reinforce' Trump's support for the embattled former army captain, who risks a 40-year prison sentence. 'Jair Bolsonaro and his family have been strong partners of the United States,' read the note. 'The political persecution against him, his family, and his followers is shameful and disrespects Brazil's democratic traditions.' Members of the BRICS grouping, meeting in Brazil under host Lula this week, criticised Trump's imposition of import tariffs and his bombing of Iran. This drew the US president's ire and a threat of 10% additional tariffs on each BRICS-aligned country.
Malay Mail
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Trump slaps 50pc steel tariff on Brazil in retaliation for Bolsonaro trial, Lula hits back over ‘interference'
Brasília, July 10 — Brazil and the United States escalated their row yesterday over President Donald Trump's support for coup-accused former leader Jair Bolsonaro, with the American president slapping a 50 per cent tariff on one of its main steel suppliers. Leftist Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva threatened to reciprocate. Trump has strongly criticised the prosecution of right-wing ally Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly plotting to cling on to power after losing the 2022 election to Lula. Brasília on Wednesday summoned Washington's top envoy to the country to explain an embassy statement describing Bolsonaro as a victim of 'political persecution' — echoing Trump's claims of a 'witch hunt' against the 70-year-old Brazilian firebrand. Trump then announced he would slap a 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian imports starting August 1, citing 'Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections' and warning of escalation if the country retaliates. In a letter addressed to Lula, Trump criticised the treatment of Bolsonaro as an 'international disgrace' and said the trial 'should not be taking place.' He added Washington would launch an investigation into Brazil's trade practices. While Trump has been issuing letters to trading partners — focusing on those his country runs a deficit with — Brazil had until now not been among those threatened with higher duties come August 1. The South American powerhouse is the second-largest exporter of steel to the United States after Canada, shipping four million tonnes of the metal in 2024. Lula wrote on X that 'any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in light of the Brazilian Law of Economic Reciprocity.' On Monday, Trump angered Lula by urging Brazilian authorities to 'LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE,' in a post on social media. 'They have done nothing but come after him, day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year!' the US president wrote. Lula, who narrowly beat Bolsonaro in a divisive election in 2022, hit back at Trump's 'interference,' insisting that 'no one is above the law.' Bolsonaro 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 prosecution over the January 6, 2021 attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol to try and reverse his election loss. Trump pleaded not guilty, and the case was abandoned when he was re-elected president. The cases have drawn the Trump and Bolsonaro families together, with the Brazilian ex-leader's sons lobbying for US sanctions against one of the Supreme Court judges sitting on the ex-president's trial. In his post on Monday, Trump suggested Bolsonaro was the favourite in presidential elections next year, despite him being banned from running for spreading disinformation about Brazil's voting system. Bolsonaro thanked Trump for his defence of 'peace, justice and liberty' in a social media post. On Wednesday, the US embassy in Brasília issued a statement to 'reinforce' Trump's support for the embattled former army captain, who risks a 40-year prison sentence. 'Jair Bolsonaro and his family have been strong partners of the United States,' read the note. 'The political persecution against him, his family, and his followers is shameful and disrespects Brazil's democratic traditions.' Members of the BRICS grouping, meeting in Brazil under host Lula this week, criticised Trump's imposition of import tariffs and his bombing of Iran. This drew the US president's ire and a threat of 10 per cent additional tariffs on each BRICS-aligned country. Lula insisted BRICS members were sovereign and did not want an 'emperor.' — AFP
Malay Mail
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Trump, Brazil trade barbs and tariffs as Bolsonaro coup trial heats up
BRASILLIA, July 10 — Brazil and the United States escalated their row yesterday over President Donald Trump's support for coup-accused ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, with the American president slapping a 50 percent tariff on one of its main steel suppliers. Leftist Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva threatened to reciprocate. Trump has strongly criticized the prosecution of right-wing ally Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly plotting to cling on to power after losing 2022 elections to Lula. Brasilia on Wednesday summoned Washington's top envoy to the country to explain an embassy statement describing Bolsonaro as a victim of 'political persecution'—echoing Trump's claims of a 'witch hunt' against the 70-year-old Brazilian firebrand. Trump then announced he would slap a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports starting August 1, citing 'Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections' and warning of escalation if the country retaliates. In a letter addressed to Lula, Trump criticized the treatment of Bolsonaro as an 'international disgrace' and said the trial 'should not be taking place.' He added Washington would launch an investigation into Brazil's trade practices. While Trump has been issuing letters to trading partners—focusing on those his country runs a deficit with—Brazil had until now not been among those threatened with higher duties come August 1. The South American powerhouse is the second-largest exporter of steel to the United States after Canada, shipping four million tons of the metal in 2024. Lula wrote on X that 'any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in light of the Brazilian Law of Economic Reciprocity.' On Monday, Trump angered Lula by urging Brazilian authorities to 'LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE,' in a post on social media. 'They have done nothing but come after him, day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year!' the US president wrote. Lula, who narrowly beat Bolsonaro in a divisive election in 2022, hit back at Trump's 'interference,' insisting that 'no one is above the law.' Bolsonaro 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 prosecution over the January 6, 2021 attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol to try and reverse his election loss. Trump pleaded not guilty, and the case was abandoned when he was reelected president. The cases have drawn the Trump and Bolsonaro families together, with the Brazilian ex-leader's sons lobbying for US sanctions against one of the Supreme Court judges sitting on the ex-president's trial. In his post on Monday, Trump suggested Bolsonaro was the favorite in presidential elections next year, despite him being banned from running for spreading disinformation about Brazil's voting system. Bolsonaro thanked Trump for his defense of 'peace, justice and liberty' in a social media post. On Wednesday, the US embassy in Brasilia issued a statement to 'reinforce' Trump's support for the embattled former army captain, who risks a 40-year prison sentence. 'Jair Bolsonaro and his family have been strong partners of the United States,' read the note. 'The political persecution against him, his family, and his followers is shameful and disrespects Brazil's democratic traditions.' Members of the BRICS grouping, meeting in Brazil under host Lula this week, criticized Trump's imposition of import tariffs and his bombing of Iran. This drew the US president's ire and a threat of 10 percent additional tariffs on each BRICS-aligned country. Lula insisted BRICS members were sovereign and did not want an 'emperor.' — AFP
