SAO PAULO — Brazil’s Supreme Court docket convicted former lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro on Tuesday for coercion associated to the trial that final yr sentenced his father and ex- President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in jail for a coup try.
The court docket sentenced him to 4 years and two months in jail. All 5 justices contemplating the case agreed he illegally interfered by lobbying the U.S. authorities to threaten Brazilian officers to cease the trial.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who additionally oversaw the previous president’s coup try case, mentioned Eduardo Bolsonaro’s job as a federal lawmaker “is to not foyer abroad towards his personal nation.” De Moraes and his spouse have been sanctioned by the U.S. authorities in July final yr.
Legal professionals for Eduardo Bolsonaro disputed the decision, saying there was not sufficient proof to convict him. The previous lawmaker has lived in Texas since February 2025.
U.S. President Donald Trump slapped Brazil with a 50% tariff final yr in protest of Jair Bolsonaro ‘s prosecution for attempting to overturn his electoral defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022.
Trump’s relations with Lula appear to have improved in early Might, when the Brazilian chief visited the White Home, however then in June the U.S. authorities as soon as once more proposed 25% tariffs on imports from Brazil, claiming the world’s Tenth-biggest economic system engages in unreasonable commerce practices.
Lula mentioned that in his go to to Washington in early Might, he handed Trump paperwork exhibiting that the U.S. has a commerce surplus with Brazil.
Eduardo Bolsonaro didn’t make feedback concerning the Supreme Court docket’s resolution. He’s campaigning for his brother Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, who is anticipated to problem Lula in October’s elections though his candidacy has confronted a current scandal associated to a cost to a disgraced banker.
Eduardo and Flávio Bolsonaro not too long ago visited U.S. officers in Washington, together with Trump.
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Observe AP’s Latin America protection at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
