Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, is lobbying in Washington to convince the Trump administration to act against Brazil. Speaking to the BBC, the Brazilian congressman praised US President Donald Trump for imposing steep tariffs on Brazilian imports and warned that additional sanctions could follow.
Eduardo has been in the US since March, calling it a self-imposed exile over fears of arrest if he returns to Brazil. He has repeatedly criticized the trial of his father, who faces coup-related charges, framing it as political persecution.
Trump’s Support for Bolsonaro
At the White House on Thursday, President Trump defended Jair Bolsonaro, calling the case against him a “political execution” and comparing it to his own legal battles. Trump has already raised tariffs on Brazilian imports to 50%, citing the treatment of Bolsonaro as justification. He also backed sanctions that restrict travel for eight Brazilian Supreme Court justices, including Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial.
Lula da Silva, Brazil’s current president, has called the tariffs unacceptable interference. Despite his objections, the levy came into effect last week.
Eduardo Bolsonaro has openly supported US pressure on Brazil, including visa bans and Magnitsky sanctions on officials. When asked if such measures hurt Brazil’s economy, he responded: “Freedom comes first, before the economy.”
Polls, however, suggest otherwise. While Eduardo cited support for Trump’s tariffs, surveys show that nearly 80% of Brazilians believe the measures will harm their lives.
Friction with Brazilian Institutions
Eduardo’s rhetoric is often directed at Justice Alexandre de Moraes, whom he accuses of abusing power. De Moraes has placed Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest, ordered him to wear an ankle monitor, and frozen Eduardo’s finances over suspicions he used them to fund lobbying efforts in the US.
Despite his criticisms, Eduardo acknowledges past mistakes. In 2019, while his father was in power, he supported reviving a decree from Brazil’s military era that suppressed dissent. He now says that was wrong. He has also condemned the violent storming of Brazil’s government buildings in January 2023 but argued the rioters were not attempting a coup.
Eduardo remains hopeful that his father will return to politics despite being barred from office until 2030. He argues new judges on Brazil’s electoral court could one day lift the restrictions. For now, he says his work in the US is to highlight human rights abuses in Brazil, describing the current government as dictatorial.
What The Author Thinks
The use of tariffs to influence another country’s legal proceedings sets a troubling precedent. While Eduardo Bolsonaro frames it as a fight for freedom, the reality is that ordinary Brazilians will bear the brunt of higher costs. Tying trade policy to the personal fate of one political figure blurs the line between defending democracy and punishing a nation’s people. If this trend continues, it could erode trust between the two largest democracies in the Americas.
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons
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