Supreme Court rejects Trump's pressure as Bolsonaro's trial for attempted coup nears its end.
Alexandre de Moraes denounces attempted coercion of the Court by a criminal organization linked to Trump, while Bolsonaro awaits verdict.
247 - Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) entered the final phase of the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro this week, accused of plotting a coup d'état after his electoral defeat in 2022. The case, considered historic, is expected to conclude by September 12 and has already garnered international attention. This report is from [source name]. Reuters.
The trial took on an even more tense tone after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, imposed sanctions against ministers of the Brazilian Supreme Court and used the process as justification to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian products and revoke the visas of Brazilian judges.
Moraes' statements and the defense of sovereignty.
At the opening of the session, Minister Alexandre de Moraes described the pressure coming from Washington as unacceptable and denounced that a "criminal organization" sought to subject the Supreme Court to the scrutiny of a foreign state.
According to him, such attempts will have no impact on the decision: "National sovereignty cannot, must not, and will never be violated, negotiated, or extorted.", Moraes stated.
Bolsonaro, family and allies
Bolsonaro insists on his innocence, but acknowledged in an interview with Reuters in July that he no longer believes in acquittal. "They want to condemn me.""said the former president, currently under house arrest in Brasília."
His son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, moved to the United States in March and began campaigning in defense of his father, even claiming to have influenced Trump's measures against Brazil. Both are under investigation on suspicion of having invited the intervention of the US government.
A longtime friend of Bolsonaro, Senator Damares Alves reported that the former president suffers from health problems, which have worsened since the stabbing in 2018. According to her, "He is indeed an elderly man being judged, and a very ill one.".
Risk of escape and heightened surveillance.
Concerned about a possible escape attempt, Moraes ordered inspections of all vehicles leaving Bolsonaro's residence and reinforced surveillance in the surrounding area. The measure was taken after the police found documents suggesting plans to seek political asylum in Argentina — something denied by the defense.
As with other high-profile trials, the proceedings against Bolsonaro are being broadcast live and are already attracting millions of viewers, deepening the polarization in the country. The case also recalls the attacks of January 8, 2023, when supporters of the former president invaded and vandalized Congress and the Supreme Court itself, in an episode compared to the invasion of the Capitol in the US in 2021.
Members of Parliament allied with Bolsonaro have once again attacked the process. Senator Hamilton Mourão, former vice president, described the trial as... "political revenge".
historical significance
Besides Bolsonaro, high-ranking military officers and other allies are also facing charges, which could result in sentences exceeding 40 years in prison. Despite this, Brazilian law allows for the possibility of sentence reduction before full completion.
The trial represents a milestone for Brazilian democracy: for the first time, military and influential politicians can be held accountable for a coup conspiracy, in a country that has never punished the crimes committed by the dictatorship from 1964 to 1985.
