The Brazilian Supreme Court has found former lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro guilty of coercion. The charges are related to the trial that previously sentenced his father, ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, to 27 years in prison. This sentence was for a coup attempt. Eduardo Bolsonaro received a prison sentence of four years and two months.
All five justices in the case concurred that Eduardo Bolsonaro illegally interfered. He lobbied the U.S. government to pressure Brazilian officials to halt the trial. Justice Alexandre de Moraes remarked that Eduardo’s duty as a federal lawmaker does not include lobbying against his own nation. This same justice oversaw the coup attempt case against Jair Bolsonaro. In July of last year, both Moraes and his wife were sanctioned by the U.S. government.
The legal team for Eduardo Bolsonaro has contested the decision. They argue that the evidence presented did not justify a conviction. Since February 2025, Eduardo Bolsonaro has been residing in Texas.
In a related development, former U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil last year. The reason was dissatisfaction with Jair Bolsonaro’s prosecution, which was linked to the effort to contest his electoral defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022. Relations between Trump and Lula appeared to have improved following Lula’s visit to the White House in early May. Nevertheless, in June, the U.S. proposed additional 25% tariffs on Brazilian imports, accusing Brazil of engaging in unreasonable trade practices.
During Lula’s visit to Washington, he presented documents indicating that the U.S. has a trade surplus with Brazil. Eduardo Bolsonaro has not commented on the Supreme Court’s ruling. Currently, he is campaigning for his brother Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, who is likely to run against Lula in the October elections. However, Flávio’s candidacy has been clouded by a scandal involving a payment to a disgraced banker.
Eduardo and Flávio Bolsonaro recently met with U.S. officials in Washington, including Donald Trump.
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