Supporters convene to laud Trump for exerting influence over Brazil, per Bolsonaro
In the heart of South America, Brazil is currently embroiled in a political storm, with former President Jair Bolsonaro standing trial for allegedly plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 presidential election that he lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Supreme Court has ordered Bolsonaro's house arrest as part of the ongoing legal process.
This trial has garnered significant attention from the United States, where President Donald Trump has expressed strong support for Bolsonaro. Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, linking the tariffs directly to Bolsonaro’s legal troubles. In July 2025, Trump signed an executive order to enforce these tariffs, citing Brazil's "recent policies, practices, and actions" as threats to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic interests.
The US Treasury Department further escalated the situation by sanctioning Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees Bolsonaro’s case. The sanctions accuse de Moraes of leading "an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions," and politically motivated prosecutions, including against Bolsonaro. President Lula of Brazil condemned these sanctions as unacceptable interference in Brazil's judicial system and expressed solidarity with de Moraes.
Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in the United States, has applauded the US Treasury's sanctions and is under investigation for allegedly cooperating with US authorities to impose sanctions against Brazilian officials.
The tariffs and sanctions have not gone unchallenged in Brazil. Thousands of supporters of former President Bolsonaro demonstrated in the streets, with rallies taking place in cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Maristela dos Santos, a teacher in Rio de Janeiro, agrees with the sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department, although she is not overly concerned about the economic impact of the tariffs announced by Washington.
However, Paulo Roberto, a 46-year-old entrepreneur, is concerned that Brazil might face the same issues as Venezuela due to the tariffs. He believes that taking a few steps back is necessary to aspire to greater freedom and a better quality of life in the future. Valdeciria Galvao, a stenographer, attended a rally in Brasilia, stating she was there to defend the people against censorship and arbitrary judges.
During the same rally in Rio de Janeiro, Paulo Roberto's sentiments were echoed. Demonstrators, dressed in green and yellow, the national colours of Brazil and Bolsonaro's party, showed support for Trump's pressure campaign against the trial of Bolsonaro's right-wing ally. Some demonstrators held US flags or signs reading "Thank you Trump."
This international controversy represents a highly politicized and complex dimension to Bolsonaro's legal challenges. The trial is expected to be concluded in the coming weeks, but the political fallout from the tariffs and sanctions is likely to be felt for much longer.
- The tariffs imposed by President Trump and sanctions enforced by the US Treasury Department on Brazil, linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro's legal troubles, have sparked war-and-conflicts in the political sphere, with both supporters and critics voicing their opinions, influencing policy-and-legislation and general-news discourse.
- The current political storm in Brazil, involving the trial of Jair Bolsonaro, has attracted extensive global attention, including from the US, where issues such as crime-and-justice, politics, and foreign policy have become intertwined, influencing war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation on both national and international levels.
