Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being found guilty of plotting a coup to remain in power following his defeat in the 2022 election.
In response, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would take action, without providing specific details. “The politically motivated prosecution by the human rights-violating Alexandre de Moraes, along with other Supreme Court judges, continues as Bolsonaro is unfairly sentenced to prison. The U.S. will respond appropriately,” Rubio wrote on X.
Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Rubio’s remarks as a threat that “attacks Brazil’s sovereignty and ignores the facts and solid evidence from the trial record.” The ministry stressed that Brazilian democracy would not bow to external pressure, including from the U.S.
Bolsonaro, who had a close relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump, is the first former Brazilian president in history to be convicted of offenses against democratic institutions. In court, five of the nine Supreme Court justices found him guilty and handed down the 27-year, three-month sentence.
Following the verdict, crowds in the Santa Teresa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision.
Trump, who watched the trial, defended Bolsonaro, calling him a “good president for Brazil.” “What is happening is shocking and very similar to what they tried to do to me, but they didn’t succeed. I know him from his presidency; he’s a good man, and this shouldn’t have happened,” Trump told reporters when asked about Bolsonaro’s conviction and potential further sanctions.
Trump himself faces multiple criminal charges and became the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a criminal offense last year. He openly criticized Brazil’s judiciary and threatened tariffs in retaliation for what he described as a politically motivated prosecution of Bolsonaro.
In July, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on most imports from Brazil, later exempting certain products such as passenger vehicles and aircraft parts. That same month, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over Bolsonaro’s criminal case, accusing him of arbitrary pretrial detentions and restricting freedom of speech.
