Brazil’s Supreme Court has convicted former lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro for coercion linked to a trial that resulted in a 27-year prison sentence for his father, ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, due to a coup attempt. Eduardo received a sentence of four years and two months in prison.
The court unanimously agreed that Eduardo Bolsonaro unlawfully interfered by lobbying the U.S. government to pressure Brazilian officials to halt the trial. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who also presided over the coup attempt case, emphasized that Eduardo’s role as a federal lawmaker does not include lobbying against Brazil overseas. Notably, the U.S. government sanctioned de Moraes and his wife in July last year.
Eduardo Bolsonaro’s lawyers contended that there was insufficient evidence for his conviction. Since February 2025, Eduardo has resided in Texas.
The relationship between the U.S. and Brazil has seen tensions, particularly under U.S. President Donald Trump, who imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil last year. This action was in response to Jair Bolsonaro’s prosecution for attempting to overturn his electoral defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022. Although relations appeared to improve when Lula visited the White House in May, the U.S. considered imposing new 25% tariffs on Brazilian imports by June, citing unfair trade practices by Brazil, one of the world’s largest economies.
During Lula’s visit to Washington, he presented documents to Trump illustrating a U.S. trade surplus with Brazil. Eduardo Bolsonaro has not commented on the Supreme Court decision. Currently, he is supporting his brother Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign against President Lula in the upcoming October elections. Flávio’s candidacy has faced challenges following a controversy involving a payment to a disgraced banker.
Recently, Eduardo and Flávio Bolsonaro visited officials in Washington, including Trump.