Brazil Supreme Court Convicts Eduardo Bolsonaro for Coercion

Brazil’s Supreme Court found former lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro guilty of coercion. This decision relates to the trial that sentenced his father, ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup. Eduardo Bolsonaro received a sentence of four years and two months.

All five justices agreed that he illegally interfered by urging the U.S. government to pressure Brazilian officials to halt the trial. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who managed the coup attempt case of the former president, emphasized that Eduardo’s role as a federal lawmaker was not to lobby against his own country.

Eduardo Bolsonaro’s lawyers disagreed with the verdict, citing insufficient evidence for conviction. Since February 2025, he has resided in Texas.

In the previous year, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil. This action protested Jair Bolsonaro’s prosecution after his failed attempt to overturn the 2022 election results against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Trump’s relations with Lula showed improvement during a visit to the White House in early May. However, in June, the U.S. proposed an additional 25% tariff on Brazilian imports, attributing this to unreasonable trade practices.

Lula stated he presented Trump with documents during his May visit showing the U.S. has a trade surplus with Brazil. Eduardo Bolsonaro refrained from commenting on the Supreme Court’s decision. He is currently involved in campaigning for his brother, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, who plans to challenge Lula in the upcoming October elections. Recently, Eduardo and Flávio met with U.S. officials in Washington, including Trump himself.