United States President Donald Trump has come to the defense of his fellow right-wing leader, Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president who faces criminal charges for allegedly plotting a coup d’etat. Trump took to social media to express his support for Bolsonaro, stating that the indictment was an example of political persecution.
“Brazil is doing a terrible thing on their treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro,” Trump said. “I have watched, as has the World, as they have done nothing but come after him, day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year!
He is not guilty of anything, except having fought for THE PEOPLE.” Trump drew parallels between Bolsonaro’s situation and his own experiences, saying, “This is nothing more, or less, than an attack on a Political Opponent – Something I know much about! It happened to me, times 10”.
Trump’s comments were in response to Bolsonaro’s ongoing trial in Brazil, where he faces charges for allegedly masterminding a scheme to retain power after his 2022 election loss to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Prosecutors say police unearthed evidence of a scheme wherein Bolsonaro and his allies plotted to hold onto power by means of a coup, one that would have seen Lula and other officials assassinated. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing and claimed that the trial is a form of political persecution.
Bolsonaro took to social media to thank Trump for his words of support, saying, “I thank the illustrious President and friend. 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 used the occasion to proclaim his innocence and blast his political opponents as puppeteers of the trial.
However, President Lula responded on social media, rejecting Trump’s attempt to influence the ongoing trial. Without mentioning Trump or Bolsonaro by name, Lula emphasized that defending democracy in Brazil is a matter for Brazilians alone. “We are a sovereign country. We do not accept interference or tutelage from anyone,” Lula wrote. “We have solid and independent institutions. No one is above the law. Especially those who threaten freedom and the rule of law”.
Trump and Bolsonaro have long faced comparisons with one another. Both leaders took office for a first term in 2017 and lost their initial re-election attempts. Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has been referred to as the “Trump of the tropics”.
Both leaders have been accused of trying to undermine their country’s elections, following losses. In Trump’s case, the accusations concern his 2020 race against Democrat Joe Biden, while Bolsonaro is accused of spreading falsehoods about the accuracy of Brazil’s voting machines.
The trial’s outcome could significantly impact Bolsonaro’s political future and influence in Brazil. If convicted, the former president could face up to 40 years in prison. Critics have speculated that Trump may seek to intervene in Brazil’s prosecution of the far-right leader through political pressure, given their alliance and similar ideologies.