Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest Monday, citing "repeated failure" to comply with a social media ban during his coup plot trial. The ruling followed Bolsonaro’s illicit address to supporters via his son Flavio’s phone at a Rio rally, a direct violation of court restrictions imposed in July. Federal police seized Bolsonaro’s phones and confined him to his Brasília residence, permitting only lawyer visits.
The U.S. State Department condemned Moraes as a "sanctioned human rights abuser," accusing him of "silencing opposition" and threatening Brazilian democracy. Officials pledged to "hold accountable" those enforcing the arrest, echoing President Trump’s earlier sanctions against Moraes and 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods. Trump’s tariffs, explicitly tied to Bolsonaro’s trial target exports like coffee and aircraft parts, exploiting trade as political leverage.
Bolsonaro faces up to 40 years for allegedly masterminding a post-2022 election coup plot, including plans to assassinate Justice Moraes and President Lula da Silva. Prosecutors assert his supporters’ January 2023 congress siege, mirroring the U.S. Capitol attack was part of a coordinated effort to overturn his loss to Lula. While the U.S. frames Bolsonaro’s prosecution as a "witch hunt," Brazil’s judiciary emphasizes equal application of law: "Justice is the same for all," Moraes stated, rejecting special treatment for figures with "political power".
The crisis has galvanized Bolsonaro’s base, with Sunday’s rallies featuring "Thank You Trump" signs and U.S. flags. His son Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lobbied U.S. officials for sanctions, declared Brazil "officially a dictatorship". Meanwhile, Lula, hinting at a 2026 reelection bid denounced U.S. interference as "unacceptable," framing Moraes’ sanctions as attacks on Brazilian sovereignty. Analysts warn the standoff could destabilize October’s elections, where Bolsonaro remains barred from running despite hopes for a Trump-backed comeback.