Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest, seizing his phone and restricting visitors ahead of his trial for allegedly plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election loss to President Lula. The decision by Justice Alexandre de Moraes—who was sanctioned by the US Treasury last week—comes as President Donald Trump prepares to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, calling the case a “witch hunt”.
This arrest has intensified the diplomatic crisis between the two nations, with the US State Department condemning Moraes for “silencing opposition” while Bolsonaro’s allies warn of judicial retaliation.
Moraes cited repeated violations of restraining orders by Bolsonaro, including his virtual appearance at a Rio protest via his son Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. The judge’s ruling—upheld by Brazil’s full Supreme Court—follows two years of investigations into Bolsonaro’s role in January 2023 Brasilia riots, which mirrored the US Capitol attack after Trump’s 2020 defeat. Unlike Trump’s stalled legal battles, Brazil’s courts have moved swiftly: Bolsonaro is already banned from office until 2030 and now faces potential imprisonment.
While Trump’s sanctions against Moraes and tariff threats aimed to pressure Brazil, analysts say they’ve hardened the Supreme Court’s stance. Yet Sunday’s mass pro-Bolsonaro protests—the largest in months—show Trump’s rhetoric has also energized Brazil’s far-right. Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo, a congressman lobbying in Washington, claimed credit for influencing Trump’s tariff decision, calling Moraes a “psychopath” after the arrest.
