The US promises to react to Bolsonaro's conviction even at the risk of him being imprisoned in Papuda.
Christopher Landau says Supreme Court trial is a "farce," and Marco Rubio announces new measures against Brazil.
247 - US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on Wednesday (17) that Washington will not back down in the face of the condemnation of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). According to Folha de S. PaulMinisters of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) believe that new sanctions announced by the US could solidify the possibility of Bolsonaro serving his sentence in the Papuda penitentiary in Brasília.
Landau criticizes the decision and calls it a "political farce."
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Landau classified the trial as politically motivated. "If this report is accurate, it only confirms that the entire 'judicial' process underway in Brazil is a political farce. Those who claim to be following the rule of law cannot increase a defendant's sentence based on a third party's reaction to their decision," Landau wrote on social media.
The post refers to a Folha report about the possibility of the former president serving a 27-year and three-month prison sentence for five crimes related to the attempted coup d'état after his defeat in the 2022 election. He added that the expressed position reflects the view of the current President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. "The United States will respond appropriately to this political witch hunt and will not be intimidated by judicial threats," he concluded.
Marco Rubio announces retaliatory measures.
On Monday (15), Marco Rubio, head of American diplomacy, declared in an interview with Fox News that the US is already preparing new announcements in response to the conviction. "So, there will be a US response to this, and we will have some announcements next week or something like that about what additional measures we intend to take. But this, the trial, is just another chapter in a growing campaign of judicial oppression that has tried to target American companies and even people operating from the United States," said Rubio.
Possible sanctions under review.
According to the report, among the measures being considered are a new round of visa revocations, the inclusion of Viviane Barci, wife of Minister Alexandre de Moraes, on the list of financial sanctions foreseen by the Magnitsky Act, as well as a review of tariff benefits granted to Brazil.
Currently, around 700 Brazilian products are exempt from a 50% surcharge. This condition could be reversed as a form of pressure, according to sources in the Trump administration. New sanctions are expected to be announced next week.
