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Trump Demands Brazil ‘Leave Bolsonaro Alone’ During Coup Trial

His claim of political persecution provoked Brazilian leaders to assert the autonomy of their courts.

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Supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro gather at Praça da Liberdade. While facing trial for allegations of staging a coup, Bolsonaro has maintained popularity and influence in the South American country.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on March 7, 2020.
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Overview

  • In a Truth Social post on July 7, President Trump characterized the trial of Jair Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt” and urged Brazilian authorities to drop the case.
  • Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazil’s Supreme Court for allegedly conspiring to prevent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s inauguration after the 2022 election.
  • Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann reprimanded Trump’s intervention as an overreach and called for respect for Brazil’s judicial sovereignty.
  • President Lula da Silva affirmed that defending democracy is Brazil’s responsibility and emphasized that no one, regardless of rank, is above the law.
  • Separately, Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court has enforced an eight-year ban on Bolsonaro holding public office through 2030 for spreading falsehoods about the electoral system.