Former Brazilian Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro Convicted by Supreme Court
In a significant judicial ruling, Brazil’s Supreme Court found former lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro guilty of coercion. The conviction relates to actions taken by Eduardo in connection with the trial that led to a 27-year prison sentence for his father, ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, over a coup attempt. More details on Jair Bolsonaro’s sentencing can be found here.
The court has sentenced Eduardo Bolsonaro to four years and two months in prison. The unanimous decision from all five justices involved in the case highlighted Eduardo’s illegal lobbying efforts with the U.S. government, aimed at pressuring Brazilian officials to halt his father’s trial.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the former president’s coup attempt case, criticized Eduardo’s actions, stating, “his job as a federal lawmaker is not to lobby overseas against his own country.” Notably, de Moraes and his spouse were subject to U.S. government sanctions in July of the previous year.
Eduardo Bolsonaro’s legal team contested the verdict, arguing insufficient evidence. Eduardo has been residing in Texas since February 2025.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump had previously imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods last year, reacting to Jair Bolsonaro’s prosecution for efforts to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Read more about the incident here.
Although relations between Trump and Lula seemed to improve following Lula’s visit to the White House in May, tensions resurfaced in June when the U.S. proposed new 25% tariffs on Brazilian imports, citing unfair trade practices by the South American nation. Details about the tariffs are available here.
During his Washington visit, Lula presented Trump with documentation indicating that the U.S. maintains a trade surplus with Brazil.
Eduardo Bolsonaro has remained silent on the Supreme Court’s ruling. Currently, he is actively supporting his brother, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, who is expected to run against Lula in the upcoming October elections. However, Flávio’s candidacy is embroiled in controversy following a scandal involving a payment to a disgraced banker. More on this scandal can be read here.
Recently, Eduardo and Flávio Bolsonaro have been in the U.S. meeting with officials, including former President Trump.
Follow AP’s Latin America coverage for more updates at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america.
