Brazilian president asserts national sovereignty after Trump calls for an end to legal action against former leader Jair Bolsonaro
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday firmly rejected what he termed "interference" in Brazil's internal affairs following recent calls by US President Donald Trump for an end to the prosecution of former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro.
"The defense of democracy in Brazil is a matter for Brazilians," Lula stated. “We are a sovereign country. We do not accept interference or tutelage from anyone. We have solid and independent institutions. No one is above the law, especially those who threaten freedom and the rule of law,” he added.
Trump had taken to his social media platform Truth Social on Monday to publicly defend Bolsonaro, a fellow right-wing leader who faces criminal charges for allegedly plotting a coup d'état.
He asserted that Bolsonaro was "not guilty of anything, except having fought for the people" and urged prosecutors to "LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!" He also accused them of carrying out a "WITCH HUNT."
Praising Bolsonaro as a "strong leader" who "truly loved his country," Trump drew parallels between Bolsonaro's prosecution and the legal cases he himself faced between his two presidential terms.
"This is nothing more, or less, than an attack on a political opponent - Something I know much about! It happened to me, times 10," he wrote.
Bolsonaro thanked Trump for his comments, describing the case against him as "clear political persecution."
“I thank the illustrious President and friend," Bolsonaro wrote in response. "You went through something similar. You were relentlessly persecuted, but you won for the good of the United States and dozens of other truly democratic countries.”
Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil between 2019 and 2022, is currently standing trial for allegedly attempting to overthrow Lula's government following the latter's 2022 election victory. He has already been barred from running for public office until 2030 by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court for falsely claiming that the country's electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud. If convicted of the coup plot, the former president could face up to 40 years in prison.
The relationship between Trump and Bolsonaro has historically been close, marked by a White House meeting in 2019 and Bolsonaro often being described as the “Trump of Latin America.”
Bolsonaro has expressed a desire to contest the 2026 presidential elections, where Lula also intends to run as a leftist candidate.
During the BRICS summit on Monday, Lula addressed recent threats by his US counterpart regarding tariffs. When questioned about Trump's warning to impose an additional 10% tariff on countries supporting "anti-US policies" from the emerging BRICS group, Lula emphasized the sovereignty of member nations.
"The world has changed. We don't want an emperor. We are sovereign countries," the Brazilian leader stated at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, underscoring the bloc's independence.
