Brazil court places former President under curfew, orders ankle tag, US revoked visa of Brazil Judge
New Delhi, Jul 19: A Brazilian court has imposed strict restrictions on former President Jair Bolsonaro, including a nighttime curfew, electronic ankle monitoring, and a social media ban, as he faces trial for allegedly plotting a coup to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023. The court order, issued by Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, follows a police raid on Bolsonaro’s residence and political headquarters. He has also been barred from contacting his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, foreign diplomats, and embassies, amid concerns he may attempt to interfere with the judicial process or flee the country.
In response to the ongoing legal proceedings, the United States on Friday revoked visas of Brazilian judicial officials involved in the case. The move follows pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, a close political ally of Bolsonaro, who has publicly criticised the trial and threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods from August if the charges are not dropped. In a retaliatory statement, President Lula warned that Brazil would respond with matching tariffs, reiterating the independence of its democratic institutions. Bolsonaro faces the possibility of decades in prison if convicted.
Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, is standing trial alongside seven others on charges including attempted coup d’état, armed criminal conspiracy, violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, and destruction of national heritage sites. The charges stem from the 8 January 2023 attack on Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace by Bolsonaro supporters, one week after Lula’s inauguration.
Brazil’s Federal Police allege that Bolsonaro actively obstructed justice, attempted to coerce witnesses, and acted to undermine national sovereignty. Prosecutors say the former president led a coordinated criminal effort to stay in power despite losing the 2022 election.
