Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest on Monday, escalating his trial for allegedly orchestrating a coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, overseeing the case, cited Bolsonaro’s violation of court-imposed restrictions by spreading messages through his sons’ social media, including a Sunday address to supporters in Rio de Janeiro. The ruling intensifies a case gripping Brazil amid a trade war with the Trump administration.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers plan to appeal, arguing his remarks—greeting supporters and calling for “freedom”—do not violate court orders. However, Moraes accused the 70-year-old of inciting attacks on the judiciary and seeking foreign intervention, a likely nod to U.S. President Donald Trump’s support. Trump, labeling the trial a “witch hunt,” tied a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods to Bolsonaro’s plight, prompting the U.S. State Department to condemn Moraes’ order and vow to hold accountable those involved in “sanctioned conduct.”
The decision follows mass protests by Bolsonaro supporters in Sao Paulo and Rio, demanding amnesty for him and others linked to the January 8, 2023, riots that damaged government buildings in Brasilia. Moraes noted that Bolsonaro’s son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, deleted a post to conceal the breach, calling it “flagrant disrespect.” Flávio decried the arrest on X, claiming Brazil is now a “dictatorship.”
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Prosecutors allege Bolsonaro led a criminal group plotting to overturn the election, including plans to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Moraes. The court has also seized Bolsonaro’s phones and restricted his visitors to family and lawyers. This marks the fourth arrest of a former Brazilian president since the end of military rule in 1985, which Bolsonaro openly admired.
The U.S. Treasury’s recent sanctions on Moraes for alleged censorship have fueled tensions, with Brazil’s government yet to respond. Political analyst Creomar de Souza of Dharma Political Risk and Strategy said the arrest could galvanize the opposition ahead of the 2026 election, splitting Brazil’s political landscape between Bolsonaro’s supporters pushing for amnesty and Lula’s administration striving to assert governance.
Right-wing lawmakers like Nikolas Ferreira criticized the decision, while leftist Duda Salabert hailed it as a win for democracy. Bolsonaro, already barred from running in 2026 due to an electoral court ruling, faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
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