Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday he favors a national ban on online betting platforms, whose revenues in the South American nation are estimated in more than $4 billion per year, one of the biggest markets in the world SAO PAULO -- Brazil's President [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva](https://apnews.com/hub/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva) said on Wednesday he favors a national ban on online betting platforms, whose revenues in the South American nation are estimated at more than $4 billion per year, one of the biggest markets in the world. The 80-year-old Lula, who is running for reelection in October, said online gambling has caused “a massive tragedy” for millions of families who have seen [household debt soar.](https://apnews.com/article/sports-betting-brazil-crisis-e199e0ef30228c15fd25820b1a69a900) “If it is up to me, we close them,” Lula said in an interview to website ICL Noticias. "I am deeply worried about the indebtedness of the Brazilian people. If these platforms cause harm, why don’t we end them? We are discussing this very seriously.“ The Brazilian president added that any move would require approval of lawmakers, many of which allies of betting companies. Sports betting was made legal in Brazil in 2018 in a bill signed by then President Michel Temer. Lula's left-leaning administration introduced regulations to betting companies in 2025 after [blocking several of them](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-online-gambling-sports-betting-blockage-addiction-690db8befc532b57349fc07f43c4fabc) the year before. Now, it seeks to impose higher tariffs to these companies from the current 12% of their income. Betting companies have advocated for regulations aiming at a more reliable market, but argued any tax increases could make local companies struggle to settle in Brazil as offshore sites would continue to tap into the Brazilian market without paying for licenses, among other requirements. [  ](https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-casualties-reported-missile-strikes-israel/?id=131757074) [  ](https://abcnews.com/Technology/live-updates/artemis-ii-live-updates-window-launch-opens-today/?id=131444306) [  ](https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-trump-touts-big-day-iran/?id=131532311) Figures published in March by a Brazilian commerce and services confederation show more than 80% of the country's families have some debt to address, the highest figure since 2010. Market analysts have credited some of those figures to the country's booming online betting industry. Many Brazilian religious groups and social activists regularly have criticized betting companies for their role, as gambling in any other form is not legal in Brazil. Betting companies sponsor almost every one of the country's popular soccer clubs in the first and second divisions. Current and former soccer players, including Vinícius Júnior, Ronaldo Nazário and Roberto Rivellino, are among the poster boys for local and foreign brands. \_\_\_ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at [https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america](https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america)

REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes Alexandre Ramagem (left) was a close ally of Brazil's jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro Brazil's fugitive former spy chief Alexandre Ramagem has been released from custody by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). ICE confirmed it had detained Ramagem on Monday, but has not said why. The 53-year-old's name no longer appears on the agency's list of those in its custody, BBC News Brasil has confirmed. He is wanted in Brazil, where he was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in an attempted military coup aimed at keeping former President Jair Bolsonaro in power after he lost the 2022 election. Ramagem, who led Brazil's intelligence agency (Abin), fled to the US in September 2025 before he could be jailed by Brazilian authorities. Bolsonaro's son Eduardo, who lives in the US, said on Thursday that the former intelligence chief was "out and home". In a post on social media, he thanked US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for "the sensitivity with which they dealt with this true national hero, who does not give up even when he is being persecuted". Referencing Ramagem's reported request for sanctuary in the US, Bolsonaro added that the ex-spy chief deserved being granted "asylum in the land of liberty". Brazilian media reported he had been let go on Wednesday. ICE has not commented on his release following his detention in Orlando, Florida. A close ally of former President Bolsonaro, the 53-year-old was one of seven co-conspirators convicted alongside him over the military coup. He is also under investigation for allegedly using his position at Abin to illegally spy on Bolsonaro's critics, which he has denied. Brazilian judicial authorities have declared him a fugitive, and in December the country's supreme court asked the US to extradite him. Speaking before his release, President Lula said he must "return to Brazil to serve his sentence". Trump has in the past said Bolsonaro had been "a good president of Brazil" and called the trial over the coup a "witch hunt". He also described Bolsonaro's 27-year jail sentence as "very surprising" at the time.

Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin says the trade deal between South American bloc Mercosur and the European Union offers some solace at a time when unilateral moves have dominated the geopolitical landscape BRASILIA, Brazil -- The trade deal between South American bloc Mercosur and the European Union [that capped a quarter-century of talks](https://apnews.com/article/uruguay-mercosur-european-union-trade-agreement-free-trade-south-america-44ca8d0eef524b84014ad266c286f8fe) offers some solace at a time when unilateral moves have dominated the geopolitical landscape, Brazil's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said. He was one of the key negotiators of the agreement reached in late 2024 that provisionally comes into force May 1. “In a moment that the world much needed it, at a time of protectionism, a tough world, this gives a message that it is possible to open markets,” Alckmin said Wednesday during an interview with media, including The Associated Press, at the presidential palace in Brasilia. “It is the biggest deal between trade blocs in the world. A market of $22 trillion and 720 million people.” Fierce opposition by farmers and environmentalists [delayed the deal](https://apnews.com/article/mercosur-brussels-farmers-tractors-88b455dcf234d9a36c6eac675a47e8e0) in December. It then hit another wall after EU lawmakers sent the deal to the bloc’s judiciary. The EU executive responded by saying it would provisionally enact the deal, which sidesteps [the European Parliament](https://apnews.com/article/eu-south-america-mercosur-trade-00d6b70a7a306fc3a7731b9173d9457e). After the trade deal is implemented, it will be halted if the European Court of Justice rules against it. Alckmin said not finishing the deal with the EU would have meant staying behind while other competitors accomplished other agreements. “It is a win-win. The societies of the Mercosur countries win, and so the 27 countries of the EU,” added Alckmin, who expects a boost in Brazilian exports to the EU of about 13% per year. The trans-Atlantic trade deal [was signed Jan. 17](https://apnews.com/article/mercosur-european-union-trade-agreement-south-america-b779460da4b7ecb6aa15d322976fa70d). The European Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen repeatedly paid tribute to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration for its efforts in making the deal happen despite opposition in Europe. Brazil is by far the largest economy of Mercosur, with a gross domestic product estimated at more than $2.3 trillion in 2025. Alckmin confirmed other potential deals with the United Arab Emirates and Canada are being negotiated. Two decades ago, Alckmin and Lula were on opposite camps in almost every issue, including the negotiations for a deal between the EU and the bloc that includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. While the man who was then governor of the powerful Sao Paulo state advocated for a pact with European nations, Lula did not. Fast forward to 2022, the two gathered forces to unseat [then-President Jair Bolsonaro](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-bolsonaro-prison-sentence-4ffc790826dd9dcd008dc666b6b9dda7), who they deemed to be a risk to Brazil's democracy. Both gravitated toward the political center. Lula made Alckmin his trade and industry minister, one of the government's key negotiators in any front. Lula's win in 2022 for a third nonconsecutive term and his bid for reelection this year did not assure the Mercosur-EU trade deal was going ahead, but the conversations gained a new momentum after U.S. President Donald Trump took office last year and imposed tariffs against several countries, including Brazil. [  ](https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-marines-uss-tripoli-seized-iranian/?id=132196152) [  ](https://abcnews.com/US/human-remains-belonging-multiple-young-children-found-memphis/story?id=132292998) [  ](https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-us-blockade-irans-strait-hormuz/?id=131983647) French President Emmanuel Macron, one of the critics of the deal, has demanded safeguards to monitor and stop large economic disruption in the EU, increased regulations in the Mercosur nations like pesticide restrictions, and more inspections of imports at EU ports. Alckmin rejected the accusation that Mercosur countries have less concerns about environmental preservations, as some EU farmers have said. “If there’s one country that is a role model of environmental preservation, that is Brazil … Brazil reduced deforestation in 50%,” Alckmin said. “So no one is too scared in either side, if there’s an import boom any of the two (blocs) can ask for safeguards,” he added. The full implementation of the deal might take up to 12 years, which Alckmin sees as key for Mercosur companies to improve productivity and quality of thousands of products. He said the fruit, beef and sugar industries of the South American bloc will be among the first to benefit but many more will over time. “It is better to do it gradually than not do it at all,” Alckmin said. “This was a very well-built deal.” \_\_\_ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at [https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america](https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america)

Brazil’s largely conservative congress has approved a bill reducing the prison sentence of the far-right former president [Jair Bolsonaro](https://www.theguardian.com/world/jair-bolsonaro), who was convicted last year of attempting a coup. The bill had initially been [passed](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/18/brazilian-congress-passes-bill-cut-jair-bolsonaro-prison-term) by congress in December, but President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva [vetoed](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/brazil-president-lula-vetoes-bill-jair-bolsonaro-prison-sentence) it in January in a symbolic move marking three years since Bolsonaro supporters ransacked the capital, Brasília. In a session on Thursday, the lower house overturned the veto with 318 votes, well above the 257 required, and the senate followed by 49 votes, with 41 needed. If confirmed by a supreme court justice, Bolsonaro’s sentence would fall from 27 years and three months to 22 years and one month. Another significant change would be the time served in a closed regime, which could drop from what legal experts estimate at between four and six years to between two and four years, meaning the former president could move to an open regime as early as 2028. It marked a second major blow in less than 24 hours for the leftwing president, who will [seek re-election](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/13/lula-da-silva-gym-rat-brazil-president-livestreams-workouts-campaign-historic-fourth-term) in October in what is expected to be a tight race against one of Bolsonaro’s sons, the senator [Flávio Bolsonaro](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/03/flavio-is-surname-dropping-son-downplaying-bolsonaro-connection), who took part in the vote. On Wednesday night, Lula suffered a [historic defeat](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-senate-rejects-nomination-lulas-solicitor-general-supreme-court-seat-2026-04-29/) when he became the first president in more than 130 years to have a nominee, the lawyer Jorge Messias, to the supreme court rejected by the senate. Although both the overturning of the veto and the rejection of the court nominee had in some form been anticipated, they are being widely interpreted in [Brazil](https://www.theguardian.com/world/brazil) as further evidence that Lula, who in polls appears virtually tied with Bolsonaro’s son, will face a difficult election. [](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/30/brazils-congress-approves-bill-reducing-prison-sentence-of-former-president-jair-bolsonaro#img-2) Flavio Bolsonaro (centre), celebrates with Conservative members of Brazil’s congress after the vote to reduce sentences for coup attempts imposed on his father. Photograph: André Borges/EPA Despite the overturning of Lula’s veto, the reduction of Bolsonaro’s sentence, as he remains under [house arrest](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/24/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-house-arrest-health), will not be automatic; his lawyers will need to file a request for a sentence review with the supreme court. The new law reduces not only his sentence but also that of about 280 others convicted over the [attempted coup](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/11/jair-bolsonaro-conviction-attempted-coup-what-happens-next-explainer) to overturn the result of the 2022 election, when the incumbent Bolsonaro was defeated by Lula. Lula has not yet commented on the decision. When he vetoed the bill in January, he said reducing sentences for an attempted coup would encourage similar crimes in the future. “This man \[Bolsonaro\] must remain in prison,” he said. The president has also not announced whether he intends to put forward a new nominee for the vacant seat on the supreme court. His previous nominee, Messias, the government’s current solicitor general, delivered an anti-abortion speech during his senate hearing and was seen as an attempt to appeal to [evangelical voters](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/06/brazil-catholics-evangelicals-religion-census), who make up 26.9% of the population and have overwhelmingly backed Bolsonaro. The senate had not rejected a presidential nominee since 1894, and the decision is widely attributed to an agreement between the senate president, Davi Alcolumbre, and the opposition led by Flávio Bolsonaro, as well as for retaliation over Lula’s refusal to nominate a candidate backed by Alcolumbre. The senate president has [reportedly](https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/politica/a-senadores-alcolumbre-diz-que-so-avalia-nova-indicacao-apos-eleicoes/) told close allies that he will only allow a new confirmation hearing after the election. If Flávio Bolsonaro were to win, and given the number of justices expected to retire in the next four years, along with two previously appointed by his father, the Bolsonaro family could secure a majority of six out of the court’s 11 justices.

Getty Images US President Donald Trump and Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva greet each other at the White House in Washington on Thursday in this handout photo from the Brazilian government. Despite the recent history of tension between Brazil and the United States, Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Donald Trump ended their meeting on Thursday at the White House exchanging public compliments. Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the meeting had been "very good" and called Lula "dynamic", while the Brazilian president said he left the meeting "very satisfied". Still, the absence of a joint Oval Office press appearance could be a a sign that important disagreements remain unresolved. The two governments still disagree on key issues such as crime, and Lula acknowledged they are especially far apart on trade. [ US lifts sanctions against Brazilian judge in Bolsonaro case ------------------------------------------------------------ ](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yqq8w2yw9o) "He always thinks we charge too much tax," Lula said of the leaders' tariff discussions, saying Brazil had proposed a working group to negotiate any trade disagreements within 30 days. "Whoever is wrong will give in. If we have to give in, we will. If you have to give in, then you will have to give in," he said. Washington and Brasilia have also faced strain over the fight against organised crime, the US's war in Iran and the risk of American interference in Brazil's October elections. And Trump has pushed Lula to drop charges against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was last year convicted of an attempted coup and sentenced to 27 years in prison. Trump usually relishes the opportunity to meet with foreign leaders at the White House, and often turns the visits into lengthy informal press conferences. The White House's decision on Thursday to forego a joint Oval Office appearance with Lula was telling, experts told the BBC, despite Trump's assertions that the meeting went "well". Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor of international relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in São Paulo, said the lack of a joint statement during or after the meeting indicates that "some disagreements remain on the table". But that doesn't mean the outcome of the meeting was negative, Stuenkel said. Dawisson Belém Lopes, professor of International Relations at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, agreed. For him, the cordial reception given to Lula indicates a normalisation of the bilateral relationship after months of strain. "I would be careful not to exaggerate or over-interpret this cancellation \[of the Oval Office press appearance\]," he said. "Lula is treated as an important, respectable interlocutor. He was literally received with a red carpet and went there to discuss matters of state, regardless of the disagreements that may exist - and certainly do exist - between him and Trump," he added. Getty Images US President Donald Trump shows Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva around the White House grounds in this handout photo from the Brazilian government. Lopes said he believes the Thursday meeting marked a change in the White House's strategy towards Brazil after months of tension and public confrontations. "Trump is very experimental in the way he does politics in general, and foreign policy in particular. He operates by trial and error, and in this specific case he already tried confronting Lula and Brazil," Lopes said. "It brought no kind of reward." According to Lopes, Washington has adopted a more pragmatic and less ideological approach to the bilateral relationship since September - when the two presidents met at the UN General Assembly in New York . The meeting, held "away from the spotlight" would indicate precisely this change in tone, he said. "This meeting signals the arrival of a new moment in bilateral relations." Stuenkel, of FGV, said he believes the length of the meeting - around three hours - may indicate an effort to build a personal relationship between Trump and Lula - especially important in the Trump era. The Brazilian government did not expect major immediate concessions from the American president anyway, Stuenkel said, especially on sensitive issues such as the US asking Brazil to classify certain groups as terrorist organisations. "It was not realistic to convince Trump to reverse all the demands." The Brazilian strategy appears to have been more focused on reducing the risk of new friction points than on obtaining an immediate diplomatic victory. "Perhaps it is neither so relevant nor so smart to seek a major victory... but simply to reduce the risk" of the US moving toward new disagreements, Stuenkel said. Elections loom in both countries -------------------------------- In a "very delicate moment in the bilateral relationship," avoiding any public tension between the two leaders is a win, Stuenkel said. For Lopes, the proximity of elections in both Brazil and the United States means there is political interest on both sides in avoiding public friction. Lula is seeking re-election in October and would want to " avoid thorny issues and anything that could be used against him", Lopes said, as Trump is facing his own domestic pressure ahead of the US midterms in November. "It is in the interest of both parties not to create negative political facts and to manage the main points of contention," Lopes said. That may also be why certain sensitive topics were not dealt with directly by the presidents, Lopes said, speculating that the leaders avoided issues considered "unsolvable from the outset". "Trump is no longer a beginner at this point, much less Lula. Since these are experienced diplomats, experienced heads of state, they try to steer away from obstacles that are insurmountable." The meeting could ultimately be seen as a win for Lula, Lopes assessed, especially given the asymmetry of power between the two countries. "The United States is more important to Brazil than Brazil is to the United States," he said. "So in this case, if there was a draw, it is better for Brazil." _BBC News Washington Correspondent Daniel Bush contributed to this report._ [Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva](/news/topics/ce73e161xjet)