BRASILIA (BN24)— Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday condemned the United States for what he called an “irresponsible” decision to revoke the visa of Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski, as diplomatic tensions rise over the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro on charges of coup plotting.
Speaking during a ministerial meeting in Brasília, Lula voiced strong support for Lewandowski, calling the move part of a broader campaign by Washington to punish Brazil’s judicial system for proceeding with the high-profile trial. “I wanted to express my solidarity and the government’s solidarity with my colleague Lewandowski faced with the irresponsible gesture of the United States in revoking his visa,” Lula said.
While the U.S. State Department has yet to officially confirm the visa revocation, Brazilian officials say it’s one in a series of punitive actions from Washington. According to reports, several Supreme Court justices, including Judge Alexandre de Moraes — who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial — have also had their U.S. visas revoked.
The developments follow extensive lobbying by Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is based in the U.S. and has actively sought support for his father. In a related escalation, former U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping 50% tariffs on dozens of Brazilian imports and echoed Bolsonaro’s claims that the trial is a “witch hunt.”
Dubbed the “Trump of the Tropics,” Jair Bolsonaro is accused of plotting to remain in power after losing the October 2022 election to Lula. If convicted, the 70-year-old faces up to 40 years in prison. He is currently under house arrest as Brazil’s Supreme Court prepares to deliver a verdict early next month.
Bolsonaro maintains his innocence, asserting that the charges are politically motivated. Prosecutors, however, have intensified scrutiny in recent days, urging heightened police surveillance at his residence amid concerns he could attempt to flee.
Last week, it was revealed that Bolsonaro drafted a request for asylum from Argentina’s right-wing President Javier Milei shortly after the investigation into the alleged coup attempt began. In that request, Bolsonaro described himself as the target of political persecution. The revocation of high-ranking Brazilian officials’ U.S. visas marks a sharp deterioration in diplomatic relations between the two nations, as the fallout from Bolsonaro’s turbulent presidency continues to reverberate across Brazil’s institutions
