The Supreme Court judge presiding over the trial of Brazil‘s ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, has denounced a “cowardly and treacherous” plot to pave the way for another attack on the country’s democracy. Judge Alexandre de Moraes was put under sanctions by the US, apparently as part of a push by Donald Trump to help his ally Bolsonaro escape punishment for allegedly masterminding an attempted coup after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Moraes came out strongly against the sanctions, calling them part of an “illegal and immoral” ruse to obstruct justice engineered by a group of Brazilian “traitors” who had lobbied foreign authorities to carry out “hostile acts” against the country’s economy. The judge claimed that the campaign’s objectives were identical to those of the January 8, 2023, riots in BrasÃlia, when hardcore Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Supreme Court, Congress, and presidential palace in an attempt to reverse his election defeat.
“To the disappointment of these Brazilian traitors, [that] will not occur,” Moraes added, vowing that the court’s work would continue as normal despite the “ham-fisted” attempts at coercion. There would be no “cowardly surrender” from its members as they sought to defend their country’s democracy. Moraes’ comments were an unmistakable reference to Bolsonaro’s third son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who moved to the US in February and has admitted to lobbying Trump officials to pressure Brazil over his father’s plight.
After Trump hit Moraes with sanctions, Eduardo Bolsonaro thanked him and said, “I have a feeling of mission accomplished.” The Supreme Court’s coup trial is expected to conclude in the coming weeks, and Bolsonaro – who has denied leading a power grab – is expected to be convicted and sentenced to up to 43 years, meaning the 70-year-old could spend the rest of his life in jail.
The US government’s interference in the Brazilian justice system has sparked a severe diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Lula condemned Trump’s actions, saying, “The US government’s interference in the Brazilian justice system is unacceptable.” Harvard University political scientist Steven Levitsky weighed in, stating that Trump was trying to punish a government that had “done a better job than the US by quite some distance at holding an authoritarian leader accountable.” Levitsky added, “Right now, Brazil is more democratic than the United States… Brazil’s democracy is flawed, but it’s a real functioning democracy.”
In light of these developments, Moraes has become a symbol of resistance against what many see as an attempt by Trump to undermine Brazil’s democracy. As the trial of Bolsonaro nears its conclusion, the international community watches closely, aware that the outcome could have significant implications for Brazil’s future and its relations with the US.