Eduardo Bolsonaro wants to expand sanctions against Brazil and is targeting Supreme Court justices in Europe.

247 - Brazilian congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), currently on leave from his position, wants to expand the international offensive against the Supreme Federal Court (STF) following the application of the Magnitsky Act by US President Donald Trump against Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The sanction also included a 50% tariff on Brazilian products. While Eduardo treats these events as personal victories, sectors of Bolsonaro's supporters are trying to control the damage and avoid publicly linking their images to the measures. This information comes from the newspaper... The State of S. Paul. 

On Wednesday (30), Trump officially announced the inclusion of Moraes on the Magnitsky Act sanctions list and detailed the tariff increase on products coming from Brazil. The text of the decree bears clear marks of the actions of Eduardo and his ally Paulo Figueiredo, an influencer who acts as an interlocutor for Bolsonarism in the United States. “Our focus will expand to Europe in the second half of the year. August is dead in Europe, but in September we already have meetings in several parliaments. The short-term objective is action against European visas for ministers,” Figueiredo told the reporter.  

However, leaders of the PL party preferred to adopt a cautious approach to the case. While parliamentarians focused their criticism on Moraes, avoiding commenting on the economic impact of the tariff, governors allied with Jair Bolsonaro, such as governors Tarcísio de Freitas (SP), Ronaldo Caiado (GO), and Ratinho Júnior (PR), chose to completely ignore the issue. Officially, the party has reinforced its defense of the former president and launched attacks on the Lula government, attempting to divert attention from Eduardo's actions.

With a sense of progress in the United States, Eduardo and Figueiredo are now turning their attention to the European continent. According to the influencer, the pair are already organizing meetings with European parliamentarians starting in September, with the goal of pressing for sanctions similar to those imposed by Trump. The immediate objective would be the revocation of European visas for ministers of the Brazilian Supreme Court, including Gilmar Mendes and Luís Roberto Barroso, the Court's president.

According to the report, the move found some resonance in the European Parliament: 16 MEPs, led by Polish MEP Dominik Tarczyński, signed a letter to the European Council requesting sanctions against Moraes, repeating arguments already used by Trump—that the minister persecutes opponents and works to establish a dictatorship in Brazil. Despite this, the impact is considered limited, given the size of the European Parliament, which has 720 seats.

The European reaction, however, was not unanimous. Francisco Assis, a Portuguese MEP and member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, stated that the proposed sanctions should not go ahead. “There is no chance of this succeeding. The overwhelming majority of European governments would never support such a thing. They respect Brazilian sovereignty. Moreover, an anti-American sentiment is currently being created in Europe like never before. Therefore, there is solidarity with the Brazilian positions against Donald Trump,” he declared.

Despite the euphoria of Eduardo and his allies, his international activities have not generated the expected mobilization within Bolsonaro's own camp. According to a source interviewed for this report, the congressman has complained about the apathy of allies, including figures with great influence, such as federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG), who is reportedly being "not very active" in relation to Eduardo's actions in the United States.

Even while avoiding broadening the debate on the 50% tariff increase imposed by Trump, Bolsonaro-aligned parliamentarians took advantage of the popularity of the Magnitsky Act to exert internal pressure. On Thursday (31), PL deputies demanded the expulsion from the party of deputy Antônio Carlos Rodrigues (SP), who praised Moraes and criticized Trump. “The pressure from our caucus was very great. Our parliamentarians understand that attacking the President of the United States, Donald Trump, is an immense ignorance,” said the president of the PL, Valdemar Costa Neto, in a statement. “Trump is the president of the strongest country in the world,” he stressed. 

Even with this support for the American, the official communication from the PL has avoided mentioning Eduardo Bolsonaro. The strategy has been to attack President Lula for the export crisis and defend Jair Bolsonaro against the accusations he faces in the Supreme Court for attempted coup d'état.

This stance should also guide the demonstration called for this Sunday (3), on Avenida Paulista, in São Paulo. Under the slogan “React, Brazil”, the event aims to bring together Bolsonaro supporters in defense of the former president. The event takes place on the eve of a possible conclusion to the trial of those accused of the coup attacks of January 8, 2023, which could take place in September if there is no request for review.