On Friday, Brazil’s Supreme Court issued an order compelling former President Jair Bolsonaro to wear an ankle monitor, remain home during most hours, and refrain from visiting foreign embassies. This decision stems from Bolsonaro’s persistent efforts to persuade President Trump to intervene in his legal proceedings.
These orders constitute a significant escalation of Brazil’s ongoing conflict with Mr. Trump regarding the legal case against Bolsonaro, which could result in his imprisonment on charges of attempting a coup d’état following the 2022 election.
Mr. Trump has threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports commencing on August 1st and has expressed indignation over what he has characterized as a “witch hunt” directed at Bolsonaro.
Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has responded resolutely, asserting that Bolsonaro should be held accountable for his actions and accusing Mr. Trump of encroaching upon Brazil’s sovereignty. He has unequivocally stated that Brazil will not yield to an American president he has referred to as an “emperor.”
On Thursday evening, Mr. Trump asserted online that the charges against Mr. Bolsonaro should be dismissed. On Friday morning, Brazilian federal authorities conducted a raid on Mr. Bolsonaro’s residence and office.
Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing investigations into Mr. Bolsonaro for several years, indicated that he had ordered Mr. Bolsonaro to remain under house arrest during the evenings and weekends and prohibited him from engaging in any communication with foreign ambassadors.
Mr. Bolsonaro’s legal representative, Paulo Cunha Bueno, stated that the court had also restricted the former president’s use of social media and communication with his son, Eduardo, who has been in Washington lobbying the Trump administration to intervene in his father’s case.
In a statement, Mr. Bolsonaro’s defense team expressed surprise and indignation regarding the newly implemented precautionary measures, despite Mr. Bolsonaro’s consistent compliance with all judicial orders up to that point.
Justice Moraes stated that he implemented the new measures on the advice of Brazil’s federal police and attorney general due to Mr. Bolsonaro’s efforts to persuade Mr. Trump to influence the court to dismiss his charges.
In his order, Justice Moraes asserted that a sovereign nation like Brazil possesses the capacity to safeguard its democracy and sovereignty, and the judiciary will not tolerate any attempt to subject the operations of the Supreme Federal Court to the scrutiny of another state.
Justice Moraes further explained that an ankle monitor was necessary due to Mr. Bolsonaro’s flight risk. He also indicated that the former president had provided financial assistance to his son with the intention of facilitating his stay in the United States to influence the White House and compel the application of tariffs on Brazil with the explicit objective of achieving criminal impunity.
Last month, Mr. Bolsonaro corroborated these claims in a deposition, affirming that he had transferred over $350,000 to his son in May.
During an interview on Brazilian television on Friday, Mr. Bolsonaro expressed his belief that he had never contemplated fleeing Brazil. However, he acknowledged that he had a scheduled lunch meeting with ambassadors next week that he could no longer attend. “I firmly believe that this is a form of persecution,” he asserted, referring to the Supreme Court’s recent actions.
The New York Times reported last year that after the police searched Mr. Bolsonaro’s home and seized his passport as part of the criminal investigation, he spent two nights in February 2024 sleeping at the Hungarian embassy in what appeared to be an asylum request.
Mr. Bolsonaro faces charges related to a months-long plot to maintain his power after his defeat in the 2022 presidential election. These charges include discussions to undermine the judiciary and confer special authority upon the military.
In a particularly significant allegation, prosecutors assert that Mr. Bolsonaro was privy to a plot to assassinate Mr. Lula, Justice Moraes, and the vice president-elect. Mr. Bolsonaro has vehemently denied these claims.
Although asserting that he never orchestrated a coup, Mr. Bolsonaro admitted to the Supreme Court last month that he and other officials examined strategies to retain power within the confines of the Constitution.