A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the freezing of the accounts and assets of Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, amid an ongoing investigation into his conduct in the United States.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian congressman, has been active in Washington, DC, drumming up support for his father’s court battle. He called the decision “another arbitrary and criminal decision” by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, saying that Moraes “relies on illegal decisions to protect himself from the consequences of his crimes”.
In a post on X, Eduardo Bolsonaro said, “Like every dictator, Moraes is trying to silence me, but I will not be intimidated, and I will not be silenced. I prepared myself for this moment.” The decision to freeze Eduardo Bolsonaro’s assets comes as part of a probe into his conduct in the US, and it is the latest development in a growing controversy surrounding the Bolsonaro family.
Meanwhile, former President Jair Bolsonaro may now face arrest over his activities on social media. Moraes issued a ruling on Monday saying that any attempt to circumvent a court ruling in which he ordered Bolsonaro to wear an ankle bracelet and banned him from using social media could result in arrest. Bolsonaro’s lawyers were given 24 hours to present an explanation for his alleged non-compliance with the court order.
According to Vera Chemim, a Sao Paulo-based constitutional lawyer, Bolsonaro is now on shaky ground, and any misstep could lead to a preventive arrest. “Bolsonaro is now completely silenced,” she said. “Any misstep could lead to a preventive arrest.” The tightening restrictions on Bolsonaro come after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Brazilian court officials, and specifically Justice Moraes, were conducting a “political witch-hunt” against the former president.
As a result, the US was revoking travel visas for Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula swiftly labelled Washington’s decision to impose visa bans on court officials “arbitrary” and “baseless”, saying that foreign interference in his country’s judiciary was “unacceptable”. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods starting on August 1, as he called on Lula to drop the charges against Bolsonaro.
The controversy surrounding the Bolsonaro family has sparked a diplomatic row between Brazil and the US, with both countries trading barbs over the issue. The situation remains fluid, with the Bolsonaros facing increasing pressure from the Brazilian judiciary.