Trump pressures Brazil to drop charges against Bolsonaro; Lula hits back

In a letter addressed to Bolsonaro, Trump described him as a victim of terrible treatment and demanded that the trial against the former president end immediately

US President Donald Trump is intensifying pressure on Brazil to drop criminal charges against its former President Jair Bolsonaro, adding that he would be “watching closely” for a response, Bloomberg reported.

 

This comes just a week after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on the South American nation. In a letter addressed to Bolsonaro, Trump described him as a victim of “terrible treatment” and demanded that the trial “should end immediately.” He also voiced concern over growing threats to free speech in both Brazil and the United States.

 

In the letter, Trump lashed out at the Brazilian government, calling it a “ridiculous censorship regime.”

 

 

Bolsonaro accused of leading coup attempt after election defeat

 

Days after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s 2023 inauguration, Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed Brazil’s capital, Brasília, vandalising government buildings under the false belief that the 2022 election had been stolen.

 

Bolsonaro, a long-time Trump admirer and former army captain, is accused of orchestrating a coup attempt after losing the October 2022 election. According to an AP report, he faces charges for leading an armed criminal organisation and attempting the violent abolition of Brazil’s democratic rule of law. 

 

He has denied involvement in the failed 2023 coup. Since leaving office, his legal troubles have grown, and he has been banned from holding public office.

 

Bolsonaro’s son lobbies Trump administration over court crackdown

 

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a federal lawmaker, has reportedly lobbied the Trump administration in Washington to intervene against Brazil’s Supreme Court.

 

The Bloomberg report noted that the Bolsonaro family holds strong animosity towards Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial. Moraes has sentenced hundreds of rioters to prison and is now a primary target of Bolsonaro’s political allies.

 

Eduardo Bolsonaro has also urged Trump officials to sanction Justice Moraes, accusing him of silencing conservative voices and overstepping legal bounds.

 

Lula calls Bolsonaro’s supporters traitors in national address

 

In a national address on Thursday evening, Lula condemned Brazilian politicians who supported Trump’s stance, labelling them “traitors.”

 

Calling for national unity, Lula said, “They thrive on chaos and believe the worse things get, the better for them. We stand united in defence of Brazil. And we will do so with our heads held high.” 

 

Lula rejects Trump’s tariff threat, calls it ‘unacceptable blackmail’

 

Lula also criticised Trump’s recent threat to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian goods, calling it “unacceptable blackmail,” Financial Times reported.

 

Speaking in a televised address, Lula accused Trump of attempting to interfere in Brazil’s justice system and called the move a “grave attack on national sovereignty.” He dismissed US allegations of unfair trade practices as “false.” 

 

Lula added that Brazilian officials had held more than 10 meetings with their US counterparts and submitted a proposal on May 16. “We expected a response, but what we received was unacceptable blackmail—in the form of threats to Brazilian institutions and false information about trade between Brazil and the United States,” he said.

 

According to the Financial Times, Brazil views Trump’s latest wave of tariffs as politically motivated, especially since the US runs a trade surplus with Brazil.