Brasília (EFE).- The conflict between Brazil and the United States worsened on Saturday after the Donald Trump administration sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court justices. Meanwhile, former president Jair Bolsonaro spent the weekend under house arrest.
The far-right leader, who is on trial at the Supreme Court for plotting a coup, has been complying with the court’s precautionary measures since Saturday.
These measures were dictated on Friday for “instigating and assisting” the Trump administration in “the practice of hostile acts against Brazil.”
This involves wearing an electronic ankle bracelet, staying at home at night and weekends, and not using social media, among other judicial responses to his efforts with his son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, to pressure the magistrates judging him and Brazil itself before the US.
The judges were sanctioned on Friday night when Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of the visa of Judge Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur of the coup plotting process, as well as those of his family and his “allies,” in what he called a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro.
This decision was made in response to Trump’s threat to impose 50% tariffs on Brazil from Aug. 1 if the criminal proceedings against the far-right leader are not halted.
Lula called the measure “arbitrary” and “unacceptable”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva responded to the sanctions imposed on members of the Supreme Court with a strongly worded official statement, protesting against what he described as “another arbitrary measure” by the Trump administration.
“No type of intimidation or threat, from whomever it may come, will compromise the most important mission of national powers and institutions: to act permanently in defence of the democratic rule of law,” the progressive leader affirmed.
“Interference in another country’s justice system is unacceptable and harms the basic principles of respect and sovereignty among nations,” added Lula, who, since Trump threatened tariffs last week, has maintained a firm stance against the Republican leader.
While Bolsonaro is absent from social media, his son Eduardo remains active on the platforms, defining his activity as a “battle” for “freedom and democracy.”
He is doing so from the US, where he claims to have been “fighting for justice” for his father since March and boasts of having influenced the escalation of sanctions against Brazil.
On Saturday, he stressed the political nature of the tariff threat, stating that Trump had realised that a financial elite supports the Brazilian regime and that this was the reason for the 50% tariff.
He also celebrated the suspension of the magistrates’ visas, thanking Marco Rubio effusively, and warned that “much more is coming,” suggesting that the next step would be the Magnitsky Act.
This US legislation establishes sanctions against individuals or organizations responsible for human rights violations anywhere in the world.
Bolsonarism seeks international “solidarity”
The president of the Foreign Relations Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, Filipe Barros, announced that he has denounced the “persecution” of Bolsonaro to international organizations and requested the “solidarity” of the global right-wing community.
The pro-Bolsonaro deputy confirmed that he had “activated” the UN and the Organization of American States, as well as various other parties.
Among these, he cited the Spanish Vox and the Portuguese Chega, both of which have already expressed their solidarity with the Brazilian far-right leader.
Santiago Abascal, the president of Vox, wrote on X that “De Moraes and Lula have reasons to be worried” and “they demonstrate it with their arbitrary and criminal practices.”
According to Abascal, “Bolsonaro represents the dignity and integrity of a nation. The people love him; they despise them for being corrupt and for imprisoning innocent Brazilians.”
André Ventura, leader of Chega, expressed himself in the same terms on social media: “I cannot fail to condemn what is happening in Brazil. Bolsonaro was taken to the police station to have an electronic ankle bracelet fitted, while the real thief is in the Presidency,” said the Portuguese politician. EFE
ed/dgp