The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned of a potential U.S. response following the conviction of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for plotting a coup.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday that the United States would take action in response to the conviction of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was found guilty of plotting a coup to retain power after losing the 2022 election. While Rubio did not specify the nature of the U.S. response, he expressed strong disapproval of the Brazilian judicial proceedings against Bolsonaro.
In a post on X, Rubio criticized what he described as “political persecutions” by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, labeling the ruling against Bolsonaro as unjust. “The United States will respond accordingly to this witch hunt,” he stated, indicating that the U.S. government would not remain passive in the face of what he perceives as a violation of democratic principles.
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry reacted sharply to Rubio’s comments, asserting that they constituted a threat to Brazilian sovereignty and disregarded the facts surrounding the case. The ministry emphasized that Brazilian democracy would not be intimidated by external pressures.
On Thursday, Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being convicted by Brazil’s Supreme Court. The charges against him included plotting a coup to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from assuming office in January 2023. Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, was a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump, commenting on the situation, expressed surprise at Bolsonaro’s conviction, likening it to his own legal challenges. “I thought he was a good president of Brazil,” Trump said, adding that he was taken aback by the developments. He also criticized the Brazilian judicial system, suggesting that it was politically motivated.
In response to the ongoing situation, Rubio has previously announced visa revocations for Justice de Moraes and his associates. This action followed the issuance of search warrants and restraining orders against Bolsonaro, which Rubio characterized as part of a “political witch hunt.” The U.S. Treasury Department has also sanctioned de Moraes, citing allegations of arbitrary pre-trial detentions and suppression of free speech.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former president’s son and a Brazilian Congressman, indicated that he expects further U.S. sanctions against Brazilian justices involved in the case. He warned that justices who voted to convict his father could face repercussions under the Magnitsky Act, a law previously utilized by the Trump administration against de Moraes. “If these Supreme Court justices keep following Moraes, they also run the risk of facing the same sanction,” he stated.
The situation continues to evolve, with both U.S. and Brazilian officials closely monitoring the implications of Bolsonaro’s conviction and the potential for increased tensions between the two nations.
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