Bolsonaro conviction: US laments Brazil's "witch hunt"
Following a ruling by Brazil 's Supreme Court, diplomatic tensions between the South American country and the United States are likely to escalate further. Despite warnings from Washington, the court in Brasilia sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison for an attempted coup – four of five judges had previously found him guilty.
New sanctions against Brazil?The US government sharply criticized the ruling and announced consequences. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on the online platform X that the United States would respond appropriately to this "witch hunt." Rubio did not provide details.
US President Donald Trump called the conviction of his ally "very surprising." He had already responded to the proceedings against the 70-year-old with punitive tariffs and sanctions. Bolsonaro, also known as "Tropical Trump," was a "good president of Brazil," Trump emphasized. He drew parallels to the legal proceedings that had been brought against him in recent years. "This is similar to what they tried to do to me, but they couldn't get away with it," Trump emphasized.
The Foreign Ministry in Brasilia declared that Brazilian democracy would not be intimidated by Rubio's threats. It would defend the country's "sovereignty against aggression and attempts at influence."
Head of a "criminal organization"The Supreme Court found that Bolsonaro led a "criminal organization" with the goal of overturning the results of the 2022 presidential election. The far-right politician lost the election to the left-leaning Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva .
The judges also found Bolsonaro guilty of inciting his supporters to violently storm the Supreme Court, the presidential palace, and the Congress in Brasilia in January 2023. Hundreds of Bolsonaro's supporters gained access to the buildings at the time and caused severe devastation.
There were also alleged plans, codenamed "Green and Yellow Dagger," to assassinate Lula, his deputy Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Moraes has long been considered Bolsonaro's archenemy.
Bolsonaro, who served as Brazil's head of state from 2019 to 2022, denies all charges and describes himself as a victim of political persecution. His lawyers intend to appeal the verdict. The sentence of more than 27 years is "absurdly excessive and disproportionate," the lawyers said in a statement. The defense will review the reasons for the verdict and "file appropriate legal remedies, including at the international level."
The lawyers are demanding that the trial be heard before the entire Supreme Court, consisting of eleven judges—not just the First Chamber. A lengthy appeal process could thus drag on until the next presidential election next year.
In addition to the former president, seven other defendants were on trial, including former ministers and generals, all of whom protested their innocence. They were also convicted.
Contrary to fears, the verdicts did not trigger major protests from Bolsonaro supporters. Experts had originally warned of excessive violence given the strong polarization within Brazilian society. According to polls, a narrow majority of Brazilians support holding Bolsonaro accountable.
wa/pgr (afp, rtr, dpa, epd, kna)
dw
