Trump accuses Brazil of “witch hunting” of Bolsonaro

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Brazilian authorities to end the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, accusing them of “witch hunting.”

His comments sparked a swift condemnation by the current President Luiz Inácio Lulada Silva, who said Brazil would not accept “intervention” from anyone, adding: “No one is beyond the law.”

Bolsonaro, who ruled in Brazil between 2019 and 2022, was tried for alleged attempts to coup against Lula after the 2021 election victory.

The former leader denied participating in any alleged conspiracy.

Trump said in a social media post that Bolsenro “has no guilt except for fighting for the people” and told prosecutors to “get Bolsenalo!”

He praised Bolsonaro as a “strong leader” who truly loved his country.

The U.S. President compared Bolsonaro’s prosecution with the legal cases he himself faced between two presidency terms.

“It’s nothing more than an attack on a political opponent, but my attack on a political opponent! It happened to me, Times 10.”

Bolsonaro thanked Trump for commenting on him in social media posts, calling the case against him a “clear political persecution.”

But President Lula fought back against the U.S. leader, saying: “Brazil’s defense of Brazil’s democracy is a Brazilian problem. We are a sovereign state.

“We will not accept intervention or guidance from anyone. We have solid and independent institutions. No one is above the law. Especially those who attack freedom and the rule of law.”

Brazilian Institutional Affairs Minister Gleisi Hoffmann also criticized Trump: “The era of Brazil succumbing to the United States is the era of Bolsonaro.”

“The president of the United States should take care of his own problems, and it is not very rare that there are people who respect the sovereignty of Brazil and our judiciary,” she added.

Back and fourth place was Lula who hosted representatives from China, Russia and other countries at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Trump earlier threatened to impose additional tariffs from countries that are aligned with He called it the group’s “anti-US” policy.

Trump and Bolsonaro enjoy a friendly relationship when their presidency overlapped, meeting in 2019 at the White House.

Both subsequently lost the presidential election and both refused to publicly admit defeat.

Lula took office a week after she took office in January 2023. Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters storm government buildings In the capital, Brasilia, federal investigators are talking about an attempted coup.

Bolsonaro was in the United States at the time and had denied any connection with the thugs.

He was banned from running for office until 2030 falsely claimed that Brazil’s voting system was vulnerable to fraud, but said he intends to fight the ban in 2026 and run for the second semester.

Bolsonaro said in court for the first time last month that the coup was a “abnormal thing.” If convicted, the 70-year-old could face decades of prison in prison.