Brazilian court convicts Eduardo Bolsonaro of courting US interference

A panel of the Brazilian Supreme Court voted on Tuesday to convict Eduardo Bolsonaro of lobbying the United States to interfere in the trial of his father, former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. Three of the four justices on the panel voted in favor of conviction, with one remaining justice yet to vote. They ruled that Eduardo Bolsonaro's actions amounted to coercion against Brazil's justice system and sentenced him to four years and two months in prison.

Justice Cristiano Zanin said it was not merely an expression of opinion or a political stance, but conduct that clearly threatened Brazilian authorities and citizens, calling it "illegitimate and criminal." The conviction is the latest legal setback for the Bolsonaro family, which remains a dominant force on Brazil's political right. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence for his efforts to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, which prosecutors described as an attempted coup.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former president's third son and a member of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies, has been active in his father's defense. Prosecutors accused him of mounting an illegal campaign to court US President Donald Trump and use foreign influence to pressure Brazilian officials to drop the case against Jair Bolsonaro. In July 2025, Trump issued a letter announcing 50% tariffs on certain Brazilian products, citing Bolsonaro's trial as a reason. Trump also issued an executive order sanctioning Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, later expanding sanctions to include his family and other Brazilian officials.

Brazil's current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced those actions as interference in Brazil's internal affairs. As relations with Lula grew more cordial, the Trump administration relaxed the tariffs and in December repealed the sanctions against de Moraes and his family. Lula visited the White House in May and praised a productive meeting with Trump.

It remains unclear what role Trump may play in Brazil's upcoming presidential elections. Lula is campaigning for a fourth term and likely faces stiff competition from Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro's eldest son. A CNT/MDA poll released Tuesday projected Lula would receive 49.3% of the vote in a runoff against Flavio's 40.2%. Flavio Bolsonaro has faced his own legal trouble, including a police probe into whether he defamed Lula.

Meanwhile, a firearm was discovered this week during a routine inspection at Jair Bolsonaro's home in Brasilia, where he is serving part of his sentence on medical grounds. A security guard initially claimed the 9mm Glock pistol was his, but it was later revealed to belong to the former president. Justice de Moraes gave Bolsonaro's legal team 24 hours to explain why a convicted man kept a firearm at home.