Brazil’s Top Prosecutor Urges Coup Conviction for Bolsonaro as Trump Hits Brazil with 50% Tariff
Prosecutor says evidence shows ‘systematic’ bid to upend 2022 vote
Brazil’s Prosecutor‑General Paulo Gonet has recommended a guilty verdict against former president Jair Bolsonaro, telling the Supreme Court that the far‑right leader “acted systematically … to incite insurrection and destabilize the democratic rule of law.” The statement, laid out in a 517‑page brief, portrays Bolsonaro as the driving force behind an alleged plot to overturn his 2022 election loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. (AP News)
Charges carry decades of potential prison time
Bolsonaro, 70, faces accusations of leading an armed criminal organization, plotting a coup and seeking the “violent abolition” of Brazil’s democratic order. A conviction for coup‑plotting alone could mean up to 12 years in prison; convictions on all counts could extend that sentence by decades. Supreme Court justices are expected to vote on the case in the second half of 2025, after Bolsonaro’s defense presents its arguments. (AP News)
Ex‑president calls trial a ‘witch hunt’—echoing Trump
Hours before Gonet’s filing, Bolsonaro rejected the allegations on X, insisting he “never violated democracy or the constitution” and branding the proceedings a “witch hunt.” The language mirrors that of U.S. President Donald Trump, who last week publicly defended his longtime ally. (AP News, AP News)
Trump links steep new tariff to Bolsonaro case
Underscoring the political stakes, Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on all Brazilian imports, explicitly tying the measure to what he called Brazil’s “mistreatment” of Bolsonaro. Brazilian President Lula has threatened reciprocal duties if Washington does not reverse course, and Brazil’s currency and key exporters fell on the news. (Reuters, Reuters)
Allies also in prosecutors’ crosshairs
The indictment extends to 33 Bolsonaro associates, including 2022 running‑mate and former defense minister Walter Braga Netto, ex‑justice minister Anderson Torres and former aide‑de‑camp Mauro Cid. Prosecutors say electronic messages, spreadsheets and handwritten notes document coordinated efforts to sow doubt about the vote and rally support for military intervention. (AP News)
Supreme Court rebuts ‘persecution’ claims
Chief Justice Luís Roberto Barroso dismissed suggestions that Bolsonaro is being singled out, stressing Brazil’s modern democracy bears no resemblance to its past dictatorship: “In today’s Brazil, no one is persecuted,” he said, calling Trump’s tariff justification “an inaccurate understanding” of events. (AP News)
Political future already curtailed
Separately, Brazil’s electoral tribunal has barred Bolsonaro from running for office until 2030 over earlier allegations that he abused presidential powers and falsely attacked the electronic voting system. (AP News)
What happens next
- Defense filing: Bolsonaro’s legal team is expected to submit its brief within weeks.
- Court vote: A panel of Supreme Court justices will then rule on guilt or innocence, likely before year‑end.
- Trade tension: Brasília is preparing a retaliation plan should the U.S. tariff remain in force.
For now, Brazil’s most polarizing ex‑president waits as the nation’s highest court—and an unexpected tariff war—decide his fate.
Source: AP News – Brazil’s Bolsonaro echoes Trump by describing coup plot trial as a ‘witch hunt’
