Argentina has ordered the arrest of 61 Brazilian citizens for participating in the [2023 storming of government buildings](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/18/brazil-mob-attack-military-police-reform) in Brasília by supporters of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, an Argentine source said on Saturday. Two people have been arrested so far who face prison sentences in Brazil, a judicial source in [Argentina](https://www.theguardian.com/world/argentina) told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to speak publicly. Argentina received an extradition request from Brazil’s judicial authorities last month. During the incident on 8 January 2023, a week after the leftist president [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva](https://www.theguardian.com/world/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva) took office, several thousand Bolsonaro supporters invaded and ransacked the Congress building, the presidential palace and the supreme court. Some [rioters fled to Argentina](https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/13/brazil-bolsonaro-rioters), hoping to find refuge under the government of the rightwing president Javier Milei. Federal police officials in Brazil said in June they believed between 50 and 100 Bolsonaro supporters charged with vandalism and insurrection had entered Argentina to avoid legal consequences. Many had convictions from the Brazil supreme court carrying heavy sentences. Bolsonaro’s former vice-president, Hamilton Mourão, said at the time that those who fled to Argentina did not believe they would get a fair trial in Brazil. The Brasília riots resembled the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol by supporters of the then president Donald Trump, who since has been elected to a second term. Brazilian authorities arrested about 3,000 people after the riots and about half are still in jail. Political violence flared up again last week after an attempted bomb attack on the Brazil supreme court, in a reminder of the ransacking of the building by Bolsonaro supporters last year. The incident has hardened consensus in Congress against a proposal to offer amnesty to participants in the 2023 attacks.

 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazil's federal police say the former right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, attempted to launch [a coup in 2022](https://www.npr.org/2023/01/08/1147761999/pro-bolsonaro-protesters-storm-brazils-congress) to stay in office following his relection defeat. The police indicted 36 other people, as part of what they say was a criminal conspiracy working to keep Bolsonaro in power, after he lost the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Among the dozens allegedly part of the conspiracy are Bolsonaro's former defense minister, who was also his vice-presidential running mate, and a number of former close aides. The Federal Police report called the coup an attempt to "violently dismantle the constitutional state". The nearly 900-page report now goes to Brazil's Supreme Court to be referred to the attorney general who will decide whether to go ahead and try the former president.  The police were investigating events that preceded the riots in the capital Brasília on January 8 2023, when shortly after Bolsonaro's left wing rival took office, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the presidential palace, the Supreme Court and congress. On Tuesday, officials arrested four members of the military, including a top aide to Bolsonaro who they said colluded to assassinate then President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his vice-presidential pick and a Supreme Court Justice. The plan was to spark a federal emergency that would allow Bolsonaro to declare a "state of siege" and stay in power as a caretaker government. Former Bolsonaro administration officials also accused of involvement in the alleged plot, include Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto, ex-National Security Adviser Augusto Heleno, the head of Bolsonaro's party, Valdemar Costa Neto and the former Justice Minister Anderson Torres. [In a post on X](https://x.com/jairbolsonaro/status/1859674801419452478), Bolsonaro said his lawyers would have to look more closely at the indicment. If convicted of attempting a coup and criminal association, the former president could face years in prison. Bolsonaro has denied all charges and says he is being politically persecuted.

[Brazil’s](https://www.theguardian.com/world/brazil) former president, Fernando Collor, has been arrested early and ordered to begin serving a prison sentence stemming from his 2023 conviction for corruption. Collor was convicted of receiving 20m reais ($3.5m) to facilitate contracts between BR Distribuidora, a fuel distributor formerly controlled by the state-owned oil company Petrobras, and construction firm UTC Engenharia for the construction of fuel distribution bases. In return, he offered political support for the appointment of executives at BR Distribuidora when it was still state-owned. Collor, who led the country from 1990 to 1992, was sentenced to eight years and 10 months, to be served initially in prison, rather than under house arrest. He was arrested on Friday in the northeastern state of Alagoas. Under the Brazilian legal system, cases concerning members of Congress, presidents and ministers go directly to the supreme court. He was not yet in prison because his lawyers were still lodging appeals. The case stemmed from the Operation Car Wash, [a sweeping corruption investigation](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/20/brazil-petrobras-scandal-layoffs-dilma-rousseff) that has implicated top politicians and businesspeople across Latin America – including the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was arrested in 2018 and imprisoned for nearly two years. Collor, 75, was the first Brazilian president elected by popular vote, in 1989, after a 21-year military dictatorship. He was impeached and removed from office by Congress in 1992 following corruption allegations. In 2007, he was elected as a senator representing his home state of Alagoas in northeastern Brazil. Supreme court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the former president’s arrest Thursday, with the full board set to vote on Friday whether to confirm the decision. De Moraes said in his decision that Collor should begin serving his sentence, noting that the former president’s lawyers have attempted to drag out proceedings through appeals. The justice also said that the court had previously ruled in similar cases that, once appeals have no merit, the sentence can be served right away. Collor’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Donald Trump has issued his strongest defence to date of Brazil’s former president [Jair Bolsonaro](https://www.theguardian.com/world/jair-bolsonaro), claiming the far-right leader is the victim of a “witch-hunt” in his home country. Posting on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday, the US president claimed that Bolsonaro – often dubbed the “Trump of the Tropics” – is “not guilty of anything”, in an apparent reference to the legal cases Bolsonaro is facing in [Brazil](https://www.theguardian.com/world/brazil). Trump wrote: “Brazil is doing a terrible thing on their treatment” of the former president. “He is not guilty of anything, except having fought for THE PEOPLE,” he wrote. Among other cases, Bolsonaro is being tried by the supreme court for [allegedly leading an attempted coup](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/10/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-coup-trial) following his defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 presidential election. While Bolsonaro [expressed his gratitude](https://www.instagram.com/p/DL0D9SkxbiH/) for Trump’s support, Lula said in an initial statement that Brazil was a “sovereign country” that “does not accept interference or tutelage from anyone”. Lula also responded to [a Trump post](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114809574296066307) from the previous evening in which the US president announced an additional 10% tariff on “any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS”, the grouping consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. “I don’t think it’s responsible or serious for the president of a country the size of the US to go around threatening the world on the internet,” he said. “He needs to understand that the world has changed. We don’t want an emperor – we are sovereign nations.” Later, during a [press conference](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC92EoW755k) at the [Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/07/brics-summit-brazil-president-lula), Lula was asked directly about Trump’s post in support of Bolsonaro. “Look, I’m not going to comment on this Trump and Bolsonaro thing,” he said. “I’ve got more important things to talk about than that. “This country has laws, this country has rules, and this country has an owner: the Brazilian people. So mind your own business and not ours,” he added. Bolsonaro is facing a range of criminal and electoral cases in Brazil. He is now barred from running for office until 2030 after making unfounded attacks on the country’s voting system, which disqualifies him from next year’s election. At the supreme court, in addition to the alleged coup attempt, Bolsonaro stands accused of allegedly selling jewellery intended for the presidency and forging a Covid vaccination certificate. The coup case, however, is the most advanced, with a ruling expected later this year. In his post, Trump wrote: “The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil – It’s called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!” The former Brazilian president had been seeking a more vocal show of support from Trump for months. One of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, took leave from his post as a congressman and has been living in the US since March, [lobbying Trump and Republican politicians](https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/articles/cj921w8gv7ro) to impose sanctions on Brazil – and particularly on the judge overseeing the cases against the former president, Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Eduardo praised Trump’s post and said it “would not be the only news coming from the United States in the near future”. In his post thanking Trump – which included a photo of the two standing side by side during their presidencies – Bolsonaro said he was the target of “a legal aberration (lawfare), a clear case of political persecution that is now obvious to anyone with common sense”. In Brazil, however, there is [broad consensus among legal experts](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-supreme-court-coup-plot) that the coup case is legally sound and that a conviction is likely.

U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized Brazilian authorities over what he calls “a witch hunt” against former President Jair Bolsonaro SAO PAULO -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday criticized Brazilian authorities over what he called “a witch hunt” against former President [Jair Bolsonaro](https://apnews.com/hub/jair-bolsonaro) and said he will be “closely monitoring” [his trial](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-bolsonaro-trial-things-to-know-52ca0d8e3f2730e1e3989d07ad2c1ee4). The South American far-right leader, who governed between 2019 and 2022, is [standing trial](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-bolsonaro-trial-coup-578007b7e4444827be57d2bda2fff663) before the country's Supreme Court for his role in an alleged coup attempt in January 2023. He is already ineligible for next year’s vote. The former president has [repeatedly denied the allegations](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-bolsonaro-demonstration-coup-1160d2159fb11f84715bcf158d5006bd) and said he is the target of political persecution. In his first such comment since Bolsonaro's trial began, Trump said in a social media post that Brazil “is doing a terrible thing in their treatment” of his ally. He added that Bolsonaro “is not guilty of anything, except for having fought for the people," and compared the Brazilian's situation to his own. “This happened to me, times 10,” the U.S. president said. “I will be closely monitoring the witch hunt of Jair Bolsonaro, his family, and thousands of his supporters. Leave Bolsonaro alone!" Bolsonaro responded by saying on social media that Trump’s “fight for peace, justice and liberty echoes worldwide," and he thanked the U.S. leader for “giving us a role model for faith and resilience.” [Bolsonaro](https://apnews.com/video/brazils-ex-leader-bolsonaro-rallies-supporters-in-sao-paulo-to-protest-his-supreme-court-trial-311e7a31185e4b00832733533e417e53) has been declared ineligible to run for office until 2030 by Brazil’s electoral court for abuse of power during the 2022 election, when he narrowly lost to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro's son Eduardo [relocated to the U.S. in March](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-bolsonaro-trial-us-son-386ccf9203558c9c631ec98cbf289d6e), and has said he would work to push for sanctions against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is leading several investigations into his father’s actions. In May, Moraes ordered the opening of an investigation into Eduardo Bolsonaro following a request from the Prosecutor General's Office, citing the possible crimes of obstruction of investigation and attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law in his push for sanctions. Brazil’s Supreme Court didn't comment on Trump’s message. Lula said in a statement, which didn't mention Trump by name, that “the defense of democracy in Brazil is a topic for Brazilians. We are a sovereign nation.” Brazil’s president added: “We have solid and independent institutions. No one is above the law. Even more so those who attack freedom and the rule of law.” Later, speaking on the sidelines of a [summit of BRICS](https://apnews.com/article/brics-summit-brazil-2025-lula-ee830be326e295fed787032abf43d59a) emerging economies in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's president said that he had “more important things to comment" on than Trump's post on Bolsonaro. “Go take care of your own life, not ours,” Lula said. Brazil's leader also criticized Trump after the U.S. president said that any country that aligns itself with what he termed “the Anti-American policies of BRICS” would be levied an added 10% tariff. On Sunday, members of the BRICS bloc condemned the increase of tariffs, without citing Trump in their final declaration. “I think it’s very wrong and very irresponsible for a president to threaten others on digital networks,” Lula said. “We don't want an emperor.” \_\_\_ Eléonore Hughes contributed to this report from Rio de Janeiro .

 President Trump broke from his tariff letter format to tell the president of Brazil that he plans to put a 50% tariff on "any and all Brazilian products sent into the United States" starting on Aug. 1. Trump posted the letter to social media Wednesday afternoon, his 22nd such letter this week. However, this letter departed markedly from the others Trump has posted. All of the other letters were similar, telling countries that the new tariffs were intended to rectify trade imbalances with the U.S. The letter to Brazil, however, was about Brazilian politics. Trump wrote that the Brazilian tariffs are needed in part "to rectify the grave injustices of the current regime," and in particular what Trump called a "Witch Hunt" against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro is currently on trial for allegations that he and allies planned a coup in an attempt to stay in power after the far-right president lost in a reelection bid against [the leftist Lula da Silva in 2022](https://www.npr.org/2023/01/01/1146518711/leftist-lula-brazil-sworn-in-president). Trump has long praised Bolsonaro, and he continued to do so in his letter. Trump wrote that he "knew and dealt with former President Jair Bolsonaro, and respected him greatly," and said the way the former leader has been treated in Brazil "is an international disgrace." Wednesday's tariff letter follows an announcement Trump made earlier this week that members of the BRICS alliance, including Brazil, would be subject to an additional 10% tariff. It was unclear whether that tariff rate would be applied in addition to the 50% rate Trump is proposing. Brazil hosted a summit of BRICS countries earlier this week, including the original BRICS members – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – plus new members including Egypt and Indonesia. At that summit, in response to Trump's BRICS tariff threat, da Silva fired back at Trump. "We don't want an emperor, we are sovereign countries," Lula said in a speech. "It's not right for a president of a country the size of the United States to threaten the world online." The tariff letters are the result of months of watching and waiting as Trump decided what to do with the global tariffs he announced on April 2. That day, he announced tariffs on nearly every country, with rates ranging from 10 to 50%. After investors panicked and stock markets plummeted, Trump walked back his tariffs, putting in place what he called a 90-day "pause" until July 9, during which all of those tariffs would be held at 10%. Trump had said he would make tariff deals with countries by July 9, but thus far, only two have been announced. Trump this week bumped out the deadline to Aug. 1. Instead of announcing additional deals, he has started posting these letters. The 50% proposed tariff on Wednesday is a massive jump from the 10% tariff Trump announced for Brazil on April 2. It is also seemingly not intended to correct a trade deficit — in 2024, the U.S. had a [trade surplus with Brazil](https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/brazil).

Natalie Sherman and Nadine Yousif BBC News US President Donald Trump said he was planning to impose a 50% tax on goods made in Brazil, escalating his fight with the South American country. He announced the plan in his latest tariff letter, which was shared on social media. In it, Trump accuses Brazil of "attacks" on US tech companies and of conducting a "witch hunt" against former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing prosecution over his alleged role in a plot to overturn the 2022 election. Responding in a social media post, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said an increase in tariffs on Brazil would be reciprocated, and he warned against any interference in the nation's judicial system. Trump also sparred with Lula about Bolsonaro's trial earlier this week. At the time, Lula said Brazil would not accept "interference" from anyone and added: "No one is above the law." Trump has posted 22 letters to countries around the world this week, including trade partners such as Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka, outlining new tariffs on their goods which he says will come into force on 1 August. The moves have largely served to revive plans he had put forward in April, but that were put on hold after financial markets recoiled at the measures. But the message to Brazil was a far more targeted missive and threatened a significant increase from the 10% tariff the White House had previously announced on goods from the country. Unlike many other countries, the US enjoyed a trade surplus with Brazil last year, selling more goods in the country than it purchased from it. In the letter, Trump called the 50% rate "necessary ... to rectify the grave injustices of the current regime". He said he would order the US Trade Representative to launch a so-called 301 investigation into Brazil's digital trade practices. Such a move would mark a turn towards a more established legal process that the US has used to impose tariffs in the past, toughening the threat. In his first term, Trump took a similar step over Brazil's consideration of a tax targeting tech firms. Trump, in the letter, accused the Brazilian government of "insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans" including the censorship of "US Social Media platforms". Trump's social media company, Trump Media, is among the US tech companies fighting Brazilian court rulings over orders suspending social media accounts. The country had also temporarily banned Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, after the platform refused to ban accounts that were deemed by Brazil to be spreading misinformation about the 2022 Brazilian presidential election. Last month, Brazil's Supreme Court ruled that social media companies can be held responsible for content posted on their platforms. In his letter, Trump also spoke favourably of former Brazilian president Bolsonaro, saying he "respected him greatly". He added that the ongoing trial against him is "an international disgrace". Trump and Bolsonaro enjoyed a friendly relationship when their presidencies overlapped, with the pair meeting in 2019 at the White House during Trump's first term. Bolsonaro is often dubbed "Trump of the Tropics". Both men subsequently lost presidential elections and both refused to publicly acknowledge defeat. Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil between 2019 and 2022, is standing trial for allegedly attempting a coup with thousands of his supporters storming government buildings in the capital in January 2023 after Lula was victorious in the election. Bolsonaro was in the United States at the time and has denied any links to the rioters or any involvement in the plot. Earlier this week, Trump had compared Bolsonaro's prosecution to the legal cases he has similarly faced. "This is nothing more, or less, than an attack on a Political Opponent - Something I know much about!" Trump had said. In response, Bolsonaro thanked the US president for his support. Trump was also critical of the Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro, where the group of developing nations met on Sunday. Trump called the group, which includes Brazil, "anti-American" and said those countries would be charged an additional 10% tariff. President Lula fired back on Monday against Trump's social media threats. "He needs to know that the world has changed," Lula said. "We don't want an emperor."

In a move seen by many – including Brazil’s president – as an attack on the country’s sovereignty, the US president, Donald Trump, announced on Wednesday that he intends to impose an [additional 50% tariff](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/09/trump-tariffs-brunei-libya-moldova) on Latin America’s largest country from 1 August. Not only was this the highest rate among this week’s announcements – and aimed at a country with which the US has maintained a trade surplus for 17 years – but the letter sent to the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, also stood out for its intemperate tone, in contrast to the standard format adopted in letters to other countries. Trump portrayed the new tariff as retaliation for the legal cases faced by former president [Jair Bolsonaro](https://www.theguardian.com/world/jair-bolsonaro), who is now on trial and could soon be jailed for [allegedly leading an attempted coup](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/10/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-coup-trial) to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat to Lula. Bolsonaro denies the charges. On Monday, Trump issued his [strongest defence to date of Bolsonaro](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/07/trump-bolsonaro-brazil-lula), claiming that the far-right former Brazilian president, often referred to as the “Trump of the Tropics”, was the victim of a “witch-hunt” aimed at keeping him out of next year’s election. Brazil summoned the US envoy in response to the extraordinary intervention. On Wednesday, while announcing the new 50% tariff, the US president repeated many of the same arguments and also claimed that Brazil’s supreme court had issued “censorship orders” against US tech companies, accusing the country of “ongoing attacks on the digital business activities of American firms”. Brazil once again summoned the US envoy and [symbolically rejected the letter](https://g1.globo.com/politica/blog/julia-duailibi/post/2025/07/09/reuniao-itamaraty-embaixada-estados-unidos-taxa-carta-trump.ghtml), while Lula, who on Monday said that Brazil does not accept external interference, issued a [new statement](https://www.gov.br/planalto/pt-br/acompanhe-o-planalto/noticias/2025/07/nota-a-imprensa-1) rebutting Trump’s claims point by point. His staff are [now assessing whether to retaliate against the new tariff](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/10/brazil-trump-tariff-threat). Given the [US’s longstanding trade surplus with Brazil](https://www.gov.br/mre/en/contact-us/press-area/press-releases/trade-measures-adopted-by-the-united-states-government-on-april-2-2025-joint-mre-mdic-press-release), which had received the minimum 10% tariff in the April round, the general reaction was one of surprise. One of Bolsonaro’s politician sons, however, was quick to claim credit for the tariff hike. Eduardo Bolsonaro [hailed it as a “success”](https://www.instagram.com/p/DL6D4iSPKSf/) resulting from the “intense dialogue” he has maintained with members of the Trump administration since March, when he took leave from the lower house and moved to the US. Business leaders who typically support Bolsonaro, however, were among those most likely to be affected by the tariffs – including sectors such as coffee, meat, textiles, plastics and footwear – and [have raised concerns](https://oglobo.globo.com/economia/noticia/2025/07/10/empregos-sob-risco-quem-perde-com-o-tarifaco-de-trump-economistas-e-lideres-empresariais-respondem.ghtml). Bolsonaro’s inner circle was [reportedly now working](https://oglobo.globo.com/blogs/bela-megale/post/2025/07/bolsonaro-e-aliados-atuam-para-que-desgaste-sobre-tarifa-de-trump-nao-recaia-na-familia.ghtml) to ensure that the political and economic fallout does not fall on the former president. Sociologist Celso Rocha de Barros believes Trump’s move could actually make things worse for Bolsonaro. “One thing that’s rarely a wise move when you’re on trial is to threaten the judge. And that’s basically what Bolsonaro is doing,” he said, arguing that the letter was above all an attempt to intimidate the court, since Lula himself has no power to halt the trial. For Lula, the turmoil is being seen as an opportunity to recover [the president’s faltering popularity](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-lula-approval-rating-edges-down-28-pollster-datafolha-says-2025-06-12/), as the 79-year-old leftist has already announced plans to run for re-election. Hoping for a [repeat of Canada’s recent elections](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/29/canada-election-result-liberal-win-mark-carney-anti-trump) – where Liberals gained ground after repeated attacks from the US president – Lula has embraced the defence of a “sovereign Brazil” as a [campaign slogan on social media](https://www.instagram.com/p/DL7ZPOkOBnu/). If it may benefit Lula, it could hurt Bolsonaro, says Rocha. “Bolsonaro has essentially imposed a tax on the Brazilian people – one that will only help reduce the US fiscal deficit, not Brazil’s,” said the sociologist.

 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says the U.S. must respect his country — and he's ready to impose retaliatory tariffs if President Donald Trump goes ahead with a [threat to slap a 50% tax](https://www.npr.org/2025/07/09/nx-s1-5462903/trump-brazil-tariff-bolsonaro) on Brazilian imports starting in Aug. 1. Trump posted the warning in a letter on [social media](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114825119138468153), citing what he called a "witch hunt" against Brazil's former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently on trial for trying to overturn the 2022 election. Trump demanded the case be dropped, calling Bolsonaro "a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World." Lula said in an [interview](https://x.com/LulaOficial/status/1943377623247114667) posted to his offical media account that at first he thought the letter from Trump was a fake. "The Brazilian people must be respected. Brazilian justice must be respected." Lula said, "We are a great, sovereign country with a historic tradition of diplomacy with all nations. Brazil will adopt the necessary measures to protect its people and its companies." The U.S. currently runs a [trade surplus](https://www.bea.gov/news/2025/us-international-trade-goods-and-services-april-2025) with Brazil — unlike many of the more than 20 countries that also received tariff warning letters this week. Last year alone, the U.S. [exported more to Brazil](https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/brazil) than it imported. That's why Lula called Trump's claim that the trade relationship was "far from reciprocal" simply inaccurate. While Trump has issued similar tariff threats to other countries, experts say this case is different. Georgetown trade policy professor Marc Busch says using tariffs as political pressure over another country's internal judicial proceedings is highly provocative. "Brazil taking this seriously may escalate in a dramatic and qualitatively different way than Trump has seen with other trade partners," Busch said.  Lula says his government is exploring retaliation, though Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad has tried to dial back tensions. In an interview, he said any dispute "can and must be overcome through diplomacy." The last few days has seen an escalation in rhetoric between the two leaders. Earlier in the week Brazil hosted a summit of the [BRICS nations of emerging economies](https://www.npr.org/2025/07/08/nx-s1-5459988/brics-summit-ends-with-calls-for-less-confrontation-in-the-world) — bringing together founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, along with newcomers like Egypt and Indonesia. There, in a pointed response to Trump's tariff threats against BRICS countries, Lula pushed back. "We don't want an emperor — we are sovereign nations," he said. The tariff threats have rattled Brazil's exporters. Gláucio de Castro, a coffee farmer and head of a major growers federation in Minas Gerais, said that while he supports Trump's politics, this move would hurt Brazil's economy. "I agree with Trump's thinking," he said. "But it's not right to hurt our country commercially — it's really harmful to us. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of coffee, and a steep tariff could spike prices for U.S. consumers. The country also exports aircraft, steel, and oil to the U.S., meaning the fallout could stretch across multiple industries.

Vanessa Buschschlüter BBC News Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has said he is ready to match any tariffs imposed on Brazil by the United States. Lula was responding to Wednesday's threat by his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to [impose a 50% import tax on Brazilian goods from 1 August.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c784ee81y4zo) In a letter, Trump cited Brazil's treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro as a trigger for tariff-hike. Bolsonaro is currently on trial for allegedly attempting to stage a coup against Lula after being defeated by him in the 2022 election. Trump referred to Bolsonaro as "a highly respected leader throughout the world". "This Trial should not be taking place," he wrote, calling on Brazil to immediately end the "witch hunt" against the former president. Trump's support for Bolsonaro does not come as a surprise as the two men have long been considered allies. The US president had already slammed Brazil for its treatment of Bolsonaro on Monday, comparing it to the legal cases he himself had faced in US courts. The 50% tariff threat was met with a robust and lengthy response by President Lula. In a post on X, he stressed that Brazil was "a sovereign country with independent institutions and will not accept any tutelage". The Brazilian leader also announced that "any unilateral tariff increases" would be met with reciprocal tariffs imposed on US goods. The US is Brazil's second-largest trade partner after China, so the hike from a tariff rate of 10% to an eye-watering 50% - if it comes into force - would hit the South American nation hard. But Lula also made a point of challenging Trump's assertion that the US had a trade deficit with Brazil, calling it "inaccurate". [Lula's rebuttal is backed up by US government data](https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/brazil), which suggests the US had a goods trade surplus with Brazil of $7.4bn (£5.4bn) in 2024. Brazil is the US's 15th largest trading partner and among its main imports from the US are mineral fuels, aircraft and machinery. For its part, the US imports gas and petroleum, iron, and coffee from Brazil. Brazil was not the only country Trump threatened with higher tariffs on Wednesday. Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka were among 22 nations which received letters warning of higher levies. But the letter Trump sent to his Brazilian counterpart was the only one focussing matters beyond alleged trade deficits. As well as denouncing the treatment of ex-President Bolsonaro, Trump slammed what he said were "secret and unlawful censorship orders to US social media platforms" which he said Brazil had imposed. Trump Media, which operates the US president's Truth Social platform and is majority-owned by him, is among the US tech companies fighting Brazilian court rulings over orders suspending social media accounts. Lula fought back on that front too, justifying the rulings by arguing that "Brazilian society rejects hateful content, racism, child pornography, scams, fraud, and speeches against human rights and democratic freedom". Rafael Cortez, a political scientist with Brazilian consulting firm Tendências Consultoria, told BBC News Brasil that rather than hurt him, the overly political tone of Trump's letter could end up benefitting Lula. "Those confronting Trump win at home when Trump and other conservative leaders speak out on issues pertaining to their countries. That happened, to a certain degree, in Mexico, and the elections in Canada and Australia," Mr Cortez says of other leaders who have challenged Trump and reaped the rewards in the form of rising popularity levels. Creomar de Souza of the political risk consultancy Dharma Politics told BBC News Mundo's Mariana Schreiber that it would depend on the Lula government coming up with organised and united response if it is to "score a goal" against Trump.

 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The ongoing feud between the U.S. and Brazil escalated on Friday after Brazil's Supreme Court ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro—an ally of Donald Trump—to wear an electronic ankle monitor, citing him as a flight risk. The court says Bolsonaro sought interference from the U.S. president to undermine the Brazilian judiciary—allegations that come amid growing tensions between the two countries. Police raided Bolsonaro's home and party headquarters early Friday morning, fitting the far-right leader with the tracking device. The court also imposed a nighttime and weekend curfew and barred him from contacting foreign diplomats, visiting embassies, or using social media. Bolsonaro, who is facing charges of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing Brazil's 2022 election, called the measures a "supreme humiliation." Speaking outside a federal police station, he denied planning to flee and claimed that the $14,000 found in his home was legally obtained. On Thursday night President Trump posted a letter on his Truth Social platform demanding the case be dropped. He has repeatedly threatened [50% tariffs](https://www.npr.org/2025/07/10/nx-s1-5463508/brazil-lula-trump-tariffs) on Brazilian goods if the prosecution continues. "I will be watching closely," Trump wrote. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva fired back, calling Trump's threats "blackmail" and vowing not to bow to foreign pressure. "No _gringo_ is going to give orders to this president," [Lula told a cheering crowd](https://x.com/LulaOficial/status/1945951986912010634) using the common Brazilian slang for foreigners. Lula says Brazil is weighing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, including tech firms. The confrontation has helped revive his flagging popularity, as many Brazilians view Trump's remarks as overreach. "U.S. observers are underestimating the power of Brazilian nationalism," said political scientist Oliver Stuenkel of FGV University. "There's a strong response to what's seen as aggressive interference by Trump." Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the Supreme Court judge who is overseeing Bolsonaro's case, is increasingly a target of conservative U.S. figures for his crackdown on misinformation and social media platforms. Trump's media company, Trump Media and Technology Group, has even filed suit against him in a Florida court, accusing him of violating free speech. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro's son Eduardo—currently in the U.S.—has been lobbying Trump to pressure Brazil's institutions. In a [statement posted on social media](https://www.instagram.com/p/DMQPPlKR3GI/) Eduardo called for Brazil to "act like a dignified democracy." But he's now barred from speaking to his father. The court's order prohibits Bolsonaro from contacting others facing charges, including his son, who also claims to be a victim of political persecution.

Watch: Police search home of Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro A court has ordered Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro to wear an ankle tag and put him under curfew over fears he might abscond while standing trial. He governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022 and is accused of plotting a coup to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023. He denies any wrongdoing. It follows US President Donald Trump's attempts to quash the case, which he has called a "witch hunt", by threatening steep tariffs on Brazilian goods. Bolsonaro said the court restrictions amounted to "supreme humiliation" and that he had never considered leaving Brazil. On Friday, police raided his home and political headquarters on orders from the Supreme Court. Judge Alexandre de Moraes also ordered that Bolsonaro be banned from social media and barred from communicating with his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has been lobbying for him in the US, and foreign ambassadors, diplomats or embassies. The ex-president will be placed under 24-hour surveillance and have to comply with a nighttime curfew. Judge Moraes said Bolsonaro was acting deliberately and illegally, together with his son Eduardo, to have sanctions imposed on Brazilian public officials. In a statement, Bolsonaro's lawyers expressed "surprise and outrage" at the court's decision, adding that the former president had "always complied with the court's orders". According to the Federal Police, Bolsonaro has attempted to hinder the trial and undertaken actions that constitute coercion, obstruction of justice and an attack on national sovereignty. Last week, the [US president threatened a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c784ee81y4zo) from 1 August, directly citing Brazil's treatment of Bolsonaro. Lula hit back, saying he would [match any tariffs imposed on Brazil by the US](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62dvyv60z7o). In a post on X, the president said Brazil was a "sovereign country with independent institutions" and "no one is above the law". On Thursday, Trump posted a letter on Truth Social that he had sent to Bolsonaro in which he said the criminal case amounted to political persecution and that his tariff threat was aimed at exerting pressure on Brazilian authorities to drop the charges. The US president has compared the prosecution to legal cases he himself faced between his two presidential terms. Bolsonaro is standing trial along with seven accused over events which culminated in the storming of government buildings by his supporters a week after Lula's inauguration in January 2023. The eight defendants are accused of five charges: attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organisation, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage. If found guilty, Bolsonaro, 70, could face decades behind bars. Reuters Bolsonaro and Trump enjoyed a friendly relationship when their presidencies overlapped The former president has consistently denied the charges against him, calling them "grave and baseless" and claiming to be the victim of "political persecution" aimed at preventing him running for president again in 2026. Speaking in court in June, [Bolsonaro said a coup was an "abominable thing"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0j73573v4qo) and there had "never been talk of a coup" between him and his military commanders. He narrowly lost the presidential election to his left-wing rival Lula in 2022. Bolsonaro never publicly acknowledged defeat. Many of his supporters spent weeks camped outside army barracks in an attempt to convince the military to prevent Lula from being sworn in. A week after Lula's inauguration, on 8 January 2023, [thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil's Congress, Supreme Court and the presidential palace](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-64204860) in what federal investigators say was an attempted coup. Bolsonaro was in the US at the time and has always denied any links to the rioters. A federal investigation into the riots and the events leading up to them was launched. Investigators subsequently said they had found evidence of a "criminal organisation" which had "acted in a coordinated manner" to keep then-President Bolsonaro in power. Their 884-page report, which was unsealed in November 2024, alleged that "then-President Jair Messias Bolsonaro planned, acted and was directly and effectively aware of the actions of the criminal organisation aiming to launch a coup d'etat and eliminate the democratic rule of law". Brazil's Attorney General Paulo Gonet went further in his report published in February, accusing Bolsonaro of not just being aware of but leading those that he says sought to overthrow Lula.

Brazil’s foreign ministry has summoned the US chargé d’affaires after the embassy posted comments about the trial of former president [Jair Bolsonaro](https://www.theguardian.com/world/jair-bolsonaro), as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate. On Thursday, the embassy published a social media post in Portuguese criticising the supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the [cases against Bolsonaro](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/06/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-house-arrest), who is on trial over an alleged coup attempt. The [post read](https://x.com/EmbaixadaEUA/status/1953443117668905066): “Minister Moraes is the chief architect of the censorship and persecution of Bolsonaro and his supporters. His flagrant human rights violations have led to [sanctions under the Magnitsky Act](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/01/brazil-judge-put-under-sanctions-for-overseeing-bolsanaro-case-blames-treacherous-plot), imposed by President Trump. “Moraes’s allies in the judiciary and elsewhere are hereby warned not to support or facilitate his actions. We are monitoring the situation closely.” The message was a translated [repost of a statement](https://x.com/UnderSecPD/status/1953208655492595772) by Darren Beattie, the US’s senior official for public diplomacy. The Brazilian government viewed the message as a direct threat to the [other supreme court justices](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/19/rubio-moves-to-strip-us-visas-from-eight-brazilian-judges-in-bolsonaro-battle) presiding over Bolsonaro’s trials and – given that Trump has yet to appoint an ambassador to Brazil – summoned the acting head of mission, chargé d’affaires Gabriel Escobar. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/08/brazil-us-diplomat-summoned-social-media-post-jair-bolsonaro#EmailSignup-skip-link-6) Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion It was the third time Escobar had been summoned since Donald Trump [began publicly defending Bolsonaro](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/07/trump-bolsonaro-brazil-lula), even citing the former Brazilian president’s prosecution over the 2022 coup attempt as [one of the justifications](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/10/trump-lula-tariffs-brazil-explainer) for the steep tariffs imposed on Brazilian goods. According to a source at the ministry, the interim secretary for Europe and North America, Flavio Goldman, expressed to Escobar the Brazilian government’s “deep indignation” over the tone and content of recent posts from the embassy and the US state department, which Brasília viewed as “interference in domestic affairs and unacceptable threats against Brazilian authorities”. The US embassy did not comment on the meeting. Before Friday’s summons, Escobar had attended a [meeting on Thursday](https://g1.globo.com/economia/noticia/2025/08/07/um-dia-apos-entrada-em-vigor-de-tarifaco-de-trump-alckmin-se-reune-com-representante-dos-eua-no-brasil.ghtml) with Brazil’s vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin, who has been leading the Lula administration’s thus far unsuccessful efforts to reverse the tariffs. Brazil says it has been seeking to open negotiations with the US since April, but has received no response. This week, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, [told Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/i-wont-humiliate-myself-brazils-president-sees-no-point-tariff-talks-with-trump-2025-08-06/): “The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won’t hesitate to call him. But today my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself.”

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has hit back at [Donald Trump’s campaign against the South American country’s judiciary](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/30/trump-sanctions-brazil-judge-bolsonaro-trial), claiming the US president would be put on trial in Brazil had the January 6 US Capitol attacks taken place there. Trump has triggered what some experts call the greatest ever diplomatic rupture between the US and [Brazil](https://www.theguardian.com/world/brazil) by slapping 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports and sanctioning a supreme court judge in an attempt to help his far-right ally, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, avoid prison for allegedly trying to stage a coup after he lost the 2022 election to Lula. Bolsonaro faces a four-decade jail sentence when the supreme court announces its verdict in the coming weeks – proceedings Trump has called a “witch-hunt” and has urged Brazilian authorities to halt. On Wednesday, as Lula announced a rescue package for companies affected by Trump’s tariffs, Brazil’s leftwing president went on the counterattack against US attempts to pressure the five supreme court judges who will decide the fate of Bolsonaro and seven other alleged co-conspirators. “What we are doing is something that only happens in democratic countries – judging someone based on evidence collected from witnesses and with complete presumption of innocence. This is democracy raised to the nth power … They are being judged based on the plea bargains and statements given by from people who took part in the coup attempt,” Lula said at an event in the capital Brasília. “And I’ve said to President Trump: If what happened in the Capitol had happened in Brazil, he would be put on trial here in Brazil too,” Lula added, rejecting the idea that there was anything “arbitrary” about Bolsonaro’s trial. Lula also rejected US criticism of the human rights situation in Brazil after the state department used [its annual human rights](https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/brazil/) report on Tuesday [to accuse his government of undermining democratic debate](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/12/state-department-trump-human-rights-report) and “suppressing the speech of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro as well as journalists and elected politicians”. Lula said: “There was really no reason to hit Brazil with tariffs and nor will we accept being told that we don’t respect human rights here in Brazil. “Every time that our American friends decide to pick a fight with someone, they try to make the people they want to fight with look like demons,” Lula added, lamenting how the 201-year-old diplomatic relationship between the two countries was “being thrown away”. Lula urged Brazilians not to fear the pressure campaign being waged by Trump, who avoided charges over his attempt to overturn the 2020 election after his election last year. One of Trump’s first acts as president was to issue [“full, complete and unconditional”](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/20/trump-executive-orders-jan-6-pardons) presidential pardons for about 1,500 people involved in the January 6 storming of Congress. In Brazil, [141 people](https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2025/08/13/8-de-janeiro-dos-mais-de-14-mil-presos-141-continuam-na-cadeia-e-44-estao-em-prisao-domiciliar.ghtml) are serving prison sentences for taking part in the 8 January 2023 rightwing riots in Brasília, which were allegedly part of Bolsonaro’s coup plot. “We shouldn’t be scared and anxious or get all excited whenever a crisis comes along. Crises exist for us to create new things. Humanity has created great things … in times of crisis,” Lula said.

Brazil’s government says it will buy several domestic products that have been hit by the 50% higher U.S. tariffs on the country’s exports SAO PAULO -- Brazil's government said on Monday it will buy several domestic [products hit by the 50% higher U.S. tariffs](https://apnews.com/article/lula-brazil-trump-tariffs-bolsonaro-561abba98f3a66ef2bfc36c7cb2034a4), such as acai, coconut water, mangoes and Brazilian nuts — and that it will pay an “adequate" price for them. Coffee and beef did not make the cut, though they are also affected by the measures imposed by U.S. President [Donald Trump](https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump), who has linked the tariffs on Brazil with the trial of his personal and political ally, former President [Jair Bolsonaro](https://apnews.com/hub/jair-bolsonaro). The development is the latest chapter in the tariff conflict between the Trump administration and Brazil. Most of the domestic products that the Brazilian government intends to buy, which also include honey and fish, will be used in state schools or in stock building nationwide. Brazil's Agrarian Development Minister Paulo Teixeira told reporters in Brasilia, the country's capital, that products like coffee and beef that didn’t make the government’s list are of interest to other markets and will presumably have other buyers. Teixeira, a close ally of President [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva](https://apnews.com/hub/luiz-in-cio-lula-da-silva), added that Brazil's government “can't pay the price paid by exporters, which are set in dollars,” but will find an adequate one for all of these items. “There's other markets interested in Brazilian coffee," he said. "It is the same thing with beef, there's other markets willing to buy it for it cheap and of the highest quality.” The U.S. measures against Brazil have damaged one of the Western hemisphere’s most important and long-standing relationships. The Trump administration has also sanctioned the [main judge of Brazil's top court](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-us-treasury-sanctions-justice-de-moraes-49cc74115742af733197369d0acc89e3) as he prepares to sentence Bolsonaro in September. [  ](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/live-updates/trump-admin-live-updates/?id=124734940) [  ](https://abcnews.go.com/US/abrego-garcias-attorneys-government-coerce-accept-guilty-plea/story?id=124916582) [  ](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-formally-asked-overturn-landmark-same-sex/story?id=124465302) The White House has embraced a narrative pushed by Bolsonaro allies in the United States, that the former Brazilian president’s prosecution for [attempting to overturn his 2022 election loss](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-bolsonaro-coup-investigation-8281b3df34426a0b589ad869c2abd696) is part of what he called “a witch hunt.” Brazil’s government estimates that 35.9% of the country’s goods shipped to the American market have been affected. That is about 4% of Brazil’s total exports. Brazil's Lula has repeatedly said he wouldn’t call Trump to talk about trade for he says the American leader has no interest in negotiating. Earlier this month, Brazil also unveiled a plan to support local companies affected by Trump’s tariffs. Dubbed “Sovereign Brazil,” the [plan provides for a credit lifeline](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-lula-exporters-plan-tariffs-1be55ee6627757ffdecfd0d3022b5f57) of 30 billion reais ($5.5 billion), among other measures. \_\_\_ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at [https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america](https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america)

 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazil's Supreme Court has reached a majority vote to convict former President Jair Bolsonaro, with four of the five justices on the panel voting to find him guilty of attempting a coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election. The verdict is historic: It marks the first time a former Brazilian head of state has gone on trial for attempting to overthrow the government. The 70-year-old far-right leader, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, and seven alleged co-conspirators faced accusations ranging from plotting a coup, attempting to overthrow Brazil's democratic order, and participating in an armed criminal group. President Trump was quick to react the news about his former political ally, telling reporters at the White House that he thought Bolsonaro "was a good president of Brazil" and that the conviction was "very surprising." He added, "It's very much like what they tried to do with me, but they didn't get away with it at all." Bolsonaro, who has been [under house arrest](https://www.npr.org/2025/08/05/nx-s1-5493156/brazils-former-president-bolsonaro-is-placed-under-house-arrest) since August, also faces additional charges linked to [riots in Brasília on Jan. 8, 2023](https://www.npr.org/2023/01/08/1147757260/bolsonaro-supporters-storm-brazil-congress-lula). On that day, Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings after he lost the 2022 election to leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, causing property damage and destroying historical items. Proceedings are set to continue through Friday, when the sentence is likely to be announced. But with a majority already secured, Bolsonaro and his co-defendants — including three former generals and the former head of the navy — are on track to be convicted, and could face up to 40 years in prison. The judge leading the case, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, gave his guilty verdict first, with nearly five hours of evidence and argument on Tuesday. Moraes, long seen as a nemesis of Bolsonaro, was widely expected to convict him — and did not hold back in his ruling. Bolsonaro's allies view Moraes' handling of the trial and broader crackdown on disinformation in Brazil as heavy-handed. In response, the Trump administration has slapped Moraes with sanctions, stripped him of his U.S. visa and imposed [50% tariffs](https://www.npr.org/2025/07/09/nx-s1-5462903/trump-brazil-tariff-bolsonaro) on Brazilian goods. Moraes accused Bolsonaro of orchestrating efforts to undermine democracy, repeatedly calling him "the leader of a criminal organization." He said Bolsonaro began laying the groundwork for a coup in 2021, spreading disinformation about Brazil's voting system and encouraging actions that led to the Jan. 8, 2023, riots in Brasília. Moraes pointed to "overwhelming evidence" of a plot by elite army personnel to assassinate then-President-elect Lula and Moraes himself, noting that part of the plan — poisoning Lula and shooting Moraes — was printed inside the presidential palace. In court, the justices were shown the document, codenamed Operation Green and Yellow Dagger, with key passages highlighted. "This wasn't drafted in secret by terrorists," Moraes said. "It was written in Brazil's government headquarters, while Bolsonaro was in office."  While Moraes and three other justices pushed for convictions on all charges for the former president, on Wednesday Justice Luiz Fux pressed for his acquittal on all five counts. He took 13 hours to read his dissent and said the case should be heard by the full 11-member Supreme Court, arguments that could potentially be used by Bolsonaro's defense team to appeal a final verdict. Bolsonaro has consistently denied the allegations. His lawyer, Celso Villardi, argued there is no evidence linking him to a coup plot. The former president's lawyers have said he would appeal a guilty verdict. The other defendants have also denied the charges.  The case has severely strained Brazil's relations with the U.S. Trump has called the trial a "witch hunt" when his administration imposed the 50% tariff on Brazilian goods in August. Asked Tuesday about possible further sanctions, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there were "no additional actions to preview," but stressed the issue remains a priority for the administration. "This president is unafraid to use the economic might, the military might of the United States to protect free speech around the world," Leavitt said. A former army captain, Bolsonaro became Brazil's first far-right president since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985. His rapid rise from congressman to president in 2019 was as quick as it was brutal — surviving an assassination attempt in 2018. Bolsonaro built a fiercely loyal base as a deeply divisive figure, particularly during his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Nicknamed the "Trump of the Tropics," Bolsonaro championed gun rights, traditional family values and an anti-gay stance while wielding social media with unfiltered bravado. Since leaving office, he has faced multiple legal challenges, including abuse of power and falsifying COVID vaccination records. In 2023, he was barred from public office until 2030 for spreading disinformation about Brazil's voting system. Yet he remains a powerful force: He won 49% of the vote in 2022 and still draws tens of thousands to the streets in his defense. With Bolsonaro sidelined, his allies are now vying to inherit his mantle ahead of the next year's elections, betting that his influence will continue to shape Brazil's political future. For Brazil, the trial is a reckoning. The country has endured repeated coup attempts, including the 1964 takeover that ushered in two decades of military rule. Now, its Supreme Court is moving to hold a former president accountable for allegedly trying to undermine democracy and steer the country back toward authoritarian rule.

Vanessa BuschschlüterBBC News Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has defended the trial which saw his predecessor in office, Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for plotting a coup. In an opinion piece [published in the New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/opinion/lula-da-silva-brazil-trump-bolsonaro.html), Lula dismissed the description by US President Donald Trump of the trial as a "witch hunt", saying that it was a "historic decision which safeguard's our institutions and the democratic rule of law". The Brazilian leader said he had written the essay to establish an open and frank dialogue with US President Donald Trump, who has imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports. Lula called the tariff hike "not only misguided but illogical". Relations have been tense between the US and Brazil in recent months, in stark contrast to the times when Trump's counterpart in Brazil was Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro often expressed his admiration for Trump, who hosted him at his Mar-a Lago resort in 2020. Lula, a left-wing leader, who is known for his direct tone, did not mince his words in his New York Times editorial. He said that over the past 15 years the US had "accumulated a surplus of $410bn (£302bn) in bilateral trade in goods and services", adding the decision to impose the tariffs could only be political. "The US government is using tariffs and the Magnitsky Act to seek impunity for former President Jair Bolsonaro," Lula wrote, referring to the sanctions which the US has imposed on the Supreme Court justice who led the trial against Bolsonaro. The trial concluded on Thursday when four out of the five Supreme Court justices on the panel tasked with judging Bolsonaro found him guilty of all five charges he was facing. A simple majority was needed to convict him. Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and 3 months in prison - a sentence which his lawyers say they will appeal against. Trump said he found the verdict "very surprising" and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US would "respond accordingly to this witch hunt". In his New York Times article, Lula insisted the trial was "not a 'witch hunt'". "The judgement was the result of proceedings carried out in accordance with Brazil's 1988 Constitution, enacted after two decades of struggle against a military dictatorship," he wrote, reminding readers that Brazil's democracy was restored in 1985 after 20 years of military rule. Lula also dismissed the Trump administration's accusations that Brazil's justice system had targeted and censored US tech firms. The Brazilian president said that his country's courts were right to regulate the internet and that US firms were not being treated unfairly. He concluded his essay by addressing President Trump directly, telling his US counterpart that Brazil remains open to negotiating "anything that can bring mutual benefits", but warned Trump that "Brazil's democracy and sovereignty are not on the table".

Ione WellsSouth America correspondent in Brasília and Leandro PrazeresBBC News Brasil Watch: Brazil's Lula talks Trump, US tariffs and oil in BBC interview Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has told the BBC in an exclusive interview that he has "no relationship" with US President Donald Trump. Lula has frequently criticised Trump, but this is the clearest signal yet that he thinks communication between him and his US counterpart is now broken. Even though the US has a trade surplus with Brazil, Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods in July, citing the trial on coup charges of Brazil's right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro as a trigger. Lula described the tariffs as "eminently political" and said US consumers would be facing higher prices for Brazilian goods as a result. The tariffs imposed by Trump have hit Brazilian exports to the US, like coffee and beef, which Lula said would become more expensive: "The American people will pay for the mistakes President Trump is incurring in his relationship with Brazil." The two leaders have never spoken directly to each other. When pushed on why he had not just tried to pick up the phone or form a relationship, President Lula said: "I never tried that call because he never wanted to have a conversation." Trump has previously said that Lula can "call him anytime." But Lula insisted that members of the Trump Administration "do not want to talk". He told the BBC that he had found out about the US tariffs from Brazilian newspapers. Referring to Trump, he said that the US president "didn't communicate in a civilised manner. He just published them \[the tariffs\] on his portal - on social media." When asked how he would describe his relationship with his US counterpart he simply said: "There's no relationship." 'He's not emperor of the world!' -------------------------------- Lula said that his poor relations with the US leader were the exception, listing how he had built relationships with former US presidents, UK prime ministers, the EU, China, Ukraine, Venezuela and "all the countries in the world". The Brazilian president attended the World War Two anniversary celebrations in Russia this year and has not cut ties with President Putin. Asked who he had a better relationship with - Trump or Putin - he defended his ties to the latter, saying they had formed them when they had both been presidents "in previous times". "I don't have a relationship with Trump because when Trump was elected the first time, I wasn't president. His relationship is with Bolsonaro, not Brazil," Lula responded. He also said that if he passed Trump at next week's United Nations General assembly he would "greet him because I am a civilised citizen", but added that Trump may be "president of the United States, \[but\] he's not emperor of the world!". When approached for comment on Lula's criticism of Trump, a White House spokesperson referred the BBC to the US president's past public comments on Brazil.  Lula said if the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot had happened in Brazil rather than in the US, Trump would have been put on trial Lula also spoke about his predecessor in office, Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted last week. A 4-1 majority of justices on Brazil's Supreme Court found the ex-president guilty of plotting a coup after losing the election to Lula and sentenced him to 27 years in prison. Lula told the BBC that Bolsonaro and his co-conspirators had "hurt the country, attempted a coup, and plotted my death". Referring to the appeals Bolsonaro's lawyers said they would lodge, Lula said that he hoped that Bolsonaro would continue "to present his defence" but that "for now he is guilty". He also criticised Trump for "inventing untruths" by claiming Bolsonaro was being persecuted and denouncing what the US leader said was a lack of democracy in Brazil. Lula also told the BBC that if the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot had happened in Brazil rather than in the US, Trump would have been put on trial. In the wide-ranging BBC interview, he also advocated for reform of the United Nations. He criticised the fact that five countries - the permanent members of the UN Security Council - have the power to veto decisions and argued that this tilted the balance in favour of those who won World War Two, excluding nations representing billions of people like Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, as well as African countries. The result, he said, was that the UN didn't "have the strength to solve conflicts" and the five permanent members made "unilateral" decisions about going to war. Getty Images Lula travelled to Moscow for World War Two victory celebrations in May He defended his continued alliances with Russia and China – two nations where unfair elections and human rights abuses have been documented – while calling for a more "democratic" UN. Pressed on Brazil's continuing purchases of Russian oil while Russia wages war in Ukraine, he said Brazil was one of the first countries to condemn Russia's occupation of Ukraine and that "Brazil doesn't finance Russia, we buy oil from Russia because we need to buy oil just like China, India, the UK or the US needs to buy oil". He said that if the UN was "functioning" then neither the Ukraine war nor the Gaza war - which he described as "not a war" but a "genocide" - would have happened. The BBC also asked President Lula about November's COP30 climate summit, when Brazil will host world leaders in the Amazon city of Belém. Domestically, the Brazilian president has faced criticism over his support for exploratory drilling for oil near the mouth of the Amazon River. Brazil's state oil company Petrobas and other firms have bought blocks for exploration and are awaiting licenses. His own environment minister, Marina Silva, has strongly opposed the plans and some conservation groups fear it could risk oil spills in waters close to the Amazon. President Lula insisted Brazil was strictly following the law in its research and if there were any oil spills then "Brazil would be liable and responsible and take care of any problem". He added that he supported a world without fossil fuels but "this moment has not come yet". "I want to know of any country that is prepared to have an energy transition and capable of giving up fossil fuels," he replied. But the issue has proven controversial with left-wing voters. Lula, who is 79, said he had not yet decided if he would run for re-election in the 2026 presidential elections. He said that his health and his party would determine that – as well as whether it was politically opportune and whether he stood a chance of winning. Lula slipped in the polls recently, but received a boost after Trump imposed tariffs on Brazil. He concluded by saying that his legacy included reducing hunger, lowering unemployment, and the incomes of the working classes growing. [Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva](/news/topics/ce73e161xjet)

Getty Images Brazil's chief prosecutor has charged the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro with coercion, according to an official statement on Monday. The attorney general's office has alleged Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman, repeatedly acted to subject the interests of the republic to personal and family agendas, subjecting Brazil to threats of sanctions from foreign governments. The congressman called these charges "bogus" in a post on social media X, saying it was "absurd" to accuse him of obstruction of justice. The latest move comes weeks after the ex-president, who governed Brazil from January 2019 to December 2022, was sentenced to 27 years in jail after he was found guilty of plotting a coup. Eduardo Bolsonaro, who resides in the US, claimed he received news of the charges through the press, and the timing of the announcement highlighted his "ongoing political persecution". In addition to a conviction, prosecutors will also seek "compensation for damages resulting from the criminal actions". Businessman Paulo Figueiredo, grandson of former dictator João Batista Figueiredo, has also been named in the charges. Reuters Eduardo Bolsonaro relocated to the US earlier this year, and [told the BBC he was living in "exile" out of fear of arrest should he return to Brazil.](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yl00qlyz9o) He has publicly lobbied for support for his father from the Trump administration, which likened the case against the former Brazilian president to a "witch hunt". US President Donald Trump, who sees Bolsonaro as an ally, imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil in July, a move that current Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called "not only misguided but illogical". US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed further action to pressure Brazil over the ex-president's conviction, and on Monday announced sanctions on the wife of Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the former president's trial. The justice said the sanctions against his wife were "illegal and regrettable". Jair Bolsonaro was found guilty of plotting a coup earlier this month and has been sentenced to 27 years in prison. [Tens of thousands of Brazilians joined protests in cities across the country on Sunday](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5qem201qlo) to protest against a bill which could result in amnesty for the former president. Under the proposal, members of Congress would have to give their approval - in a secret ballot - before a lawmaker could be charged or arrested. Critics have dubbed it the "Banditry Bill" but members of Congress who supported it said it was necessary to shield them from what they said was "judicial overreach". President Lula wrote on X: "I stand with the Brazilian people. Today's demonstrations show that the population does not want impunity or amnesty." He has also vowed to veto the amnesty bill were it to be passed by the Senate.

Brazil’s president, [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva](https://www.theguardian.com/world/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva), has urged Donald Trump to scrap tariffs on his country’s imports and sanctions against its officials, as the two men held what the Brazilian presidency called a “friendly” video call, swapping phone numbers after months of friction. Ties between the US and Brazil have nosedived as a result of Trump’s campaign to [pressure Brazilian authorities into abandoning the coup trial of his far-right ally, Jair Bolsonaro.](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/31/trump-brazil-democracy) In August, the US introduced 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports, partly as a result of what Trump called the “witch-hunt” against Brazil’s former president, who was accused of trying to seize power after losing the 2022 election to Lula. US efforts to derail Bolsonaro’s prosecution – which also included sanctioning Brazilian officials and revoking visas – failed. On 11 September, Bolsonaro was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison by the supreme court. A fortnight later, Trump appeared to extend an olive branch to Lula at the UN general assembly in New York. “He seemed like a very nice man, actually,” Trump said of his leftwing counterpart after a brief backstage encounter during which the US president claimed there had been “excellent chemistry”. On Monday, Trump and Lula held their first extended conversation since the former returned to the White House in January. “It was positive,” Brazil’s finance minister, Fernando Haddad, who also took part in the half-hour call, told reporters after. In a statement, Brazil’s presidency said Trump and Lula had “recalled the good chemistry felt in New York” and “exchanged phone numbers to establish a direct channel of communication”. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump celebrated “a very good” exchange, adding: “I enjoyed the call – Our Countries will do very well together!” Lula called the conversation “an opportunity to restore the friendly 201-year relationship between the west’s two biggest democracies” and asked for US tariffs and sanctions against Brazilian officials to be scrapped. Lula also said he hoped to meet Trump in person, possibly at a summit in Malaysia later this month, or by travelling to the US. He reiterated his invitation for the US president to attend November’s Cop30 climate summit in the Amazon city of Belém. Trump said: “We discussed many things, but it was mostly focused on the Economy, and Trade, between our two Countries. We will be having further discussions, and will get together in the not too distant future, both in Brazil and the United States.” Matias Spektor, an international relations professor at Brazil’s Getúlio Vargas Foundation, said it was too early to declare the rift between Brasília and Washington over: “All we know is that Trump is willing to talk and that Lula is willing to talk as well.” It was unclear whether Trump raised Bolsonaro’s plight during the call – but even if he did, Spektor said there was nothing Lula could offer the US president with regards to that. “Lula simply cannot deliver any changes in the way the supreme court treats Bolsonaro … even if he wanted to.” However, Spektor believed one possible area where Brazil could help Trump was [Haiti](https://www.theguardian.com/world/haiti). Last week the UN security council approved US-backed plans for a thousands-strong “Gang Suppression Force” to tackle the crisis in the Caribbean country. In 2004, during Lula’s first presidential term, Brazil began sending thousands of troops to Haiti to lead the UN stabilisation mission there, which lasted until 2017. Just over two decades later, Spektor wondered whether Brazilian boots might again be seen on the ground in Port-au-Prince. “I may well be very wrong … It could be the case that nobody in the \[Lula\] administration wants to burn their fingers with this,” Spektor said. “\[But\] Haiti is one instance in which the demand coming from the White House could be met by Brazil – and it’s something Brazil has done in the past and … that Lula could present as Brazil’s contribution to world order, stability and peace at a time at which things are so messy. “And if this is an area where Lula can do something that Trump will appreciate, this is where you have a bridge between Trump and Lula … The stars could align.”