Brazil’s Federal Police called conservative former President Jair Bolsonaro to testify in Brasília on Thursday as part of a probe into the actions of his son Eduardo, who requested political asylum in the United States this year.
Local outlets reported on Thursday that Bolsonaro was called to testify by order of Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who opened an inquiry against Eduardo Bolsonaro for allegations that he is “working” to incite the administration of President Donald Trump to “punish” him — Moraes — and other Brazilian authorities.
Eduardo Bolsonaro is the former president’s third son and a current member of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies. In March, Eduardo Bolsonaro requested asylum in the United States on the grounds that he is the target of a persecution campaign led by de Moraes. Last week, the STF Justice launched a probe against the lawmaker on allegations of “obstructing an investigation into a criminal offense involving a criminal organization,” and “violent abolition of the democratic rule of law.”
Brazilian Attorney General Paulo Gonet reportedly claimed last week that Eduardo Bolsonaro used an “intimidating tone” in the United States to try to hinder the trial against his father, who stands accused alongside dozens others of plotting a “coup” in Brazil following his narrow defeat in the 2022 presidential election. Gonet further claimed that Eduardo Bolsonaro is “articulating” possible U.S. sanctions against de Moraes with the alleged intent to “coerce” the Brazilian top court. As part of the probe, de Moraes ordered Brazilian police authorities to “monitor and preserve” the content of Eduardo Bolsonaro’s social media accounts.
According to the Brazilian outlet UOL, the Trump administration’s recent announcement of visa restrictions on foreign officials who engage in censorship of U.S. citizens is “seen as a way of targeting” de Moraes.
The Attorney General’s Office argued that former President Jair Bolsonaro “would directly benefit from his son’s actions” and accused him of providing financial support to his son in the United States. The former president’s upcoming testimony, the attorney general reportedly asserted, seeks to “clarify” if Jair Bolsonaro is directly involved in his son Eduardo’s actions against the STF.
Sources close to Bolsonaro told CNN Brasil that the former president is expected to testify to the police that he had no prior knowledge of his son’s plans and was not aware that Eduardo Bolsonaro would be traveling to the United States at all. The sources further said that Bolsonaro is expected to confirm that he has provided financial aid to his son on the grounds that he has the right to “help his son, his grandchildren, his daughter-in-law whenever he wishes, especially in times of economic difficulties and/or professional transition.”
The sources reportedly contested the allegations that Bolsonaro organized his son’s trip to the United States, noting that the former president does not speak English and therefore the language barriers would “prevent him from mounting an orchestrated action on American soil.”
In addition to Jair Bolsonaro, de Moraes reportedly ordered Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira to inform him which U.S. diplomatic authorities could be interrogated about Eduardo Bolsonaro’s actions in the United States.
Leftist lawmaker Lindbergh Farias, who leads the ruling Workers’ Party (PT) faction in the Brazilian Congress, testified on Monday in the ongoing probe against Eduardo Bolsonaro. Farias told reporters, “It was a long testimony, but very fruitful. Eduardo Bolsonaro’s statements are self-incriminating. And there are interventions that clearly show that those meetings he had and followed up on had an effect.”
While no U.S. sanction has been imposed on Alexandre de Moraes at press time, radical leftist President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said during a press conference on Tuesday that any sanction against de Moraes would be “unacceptable,” expressing support for the STF Justice.
“If you agree or if you don’t agree, keep quiet. It’s not right for you to give advice. It’s not right to judge people. I’ve already had my passport suspended from the United States. I think the United States just needs to understand that respect for the integrity of other countries’ institutions is very important,” Lula said.
“We don’t think that one country can meddle in the life of another, trying to punish the other country. That’s not appropriate,” he added. “It’s important to respect. As I like to respect, I like to be respected. For the time being, what we have are the words of individuals. But you can be sure that Brazil will defend not only its minister [Justice], but the Supreme Court.”
Lula criticized Eduardo Bolsonaro and said that his actions are “disrespectful” and a “provocation.” According to Lula it is “regrettable” that he is “calling on the United States to meddle in Brazil’s internal politics,” stressing that it is “a terrorist practice. An unpatriotic practice.”
“A citizen who is a congressman resigns his mandate, asks to be excused from his mandate to try to lick the boots of Trump and his advisers, asking for intervention in Brazilian politics. This is unacceptable,” he declared.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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