Brazil’s Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup against his successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The verdict, reached after a tense four-day trial, split the nation and triggered a diplomatic storm with the United States.
A 4–1 majority of judges found the 70-year-old far-right leader, often dubbed the “Trump of the tropics,” guilty of conspiring to topple Lula after his 2022 election defeat. Prosecutors argued that Bolsonaro’s scheme failed only because Brazil’s military top brass refused to support it.
Bolsonaro’s legal team slammed the punishment as “incredibly excessive” and vowed to appeal, including before international courts. He remains under house arrest while proceedings continue.
US Tensions Rise as Lula Strengthens Position
Washington swiftly condemned the ruling. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio branded the trial a “politically motivated witch hunt” and warned of a response. Brazil’s foreign ministry rejected the criticism, vowing not to bow to “threats.”
Former US president Donald Trump also weighed in, calling the conviction “very surprising.” He praised Bolsonaro as a “good president” and likened his legal troubles to his own, saying both men were targets of political persecution.
The fallout has shaken ties between the two countries, with Washington imposing tariffs and sanctions on Brazilian officials. Meanwhile, Lula, who once served time himself before courts overturned his corruption charges, has gained popularity. He now casts himself as a defender of national sovereignty against foreign pressure and has hinted at seeking reelection in 2026.
A Divided Nation Watches Closely
Across Brazil, millions followed the trial on television and social media. In some quarters, people celebrated the ruling as justice served. “After so much waiting, they are sending this despicable individual to jail,” said Virgilio Soares, a 46-year-old translator in Brasília.
Others, however, denounced the trial as political theater. Civil engineer Germano Cavalcante, 60, described the conviction as “unfair.”
The case has deepened Brazil’s political divide, with Bolsonaro’s allies pushing for an amnesty bill in Congress. His son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, said his father remained defiant and “on the right side of history.”
Bolsonaro is now the fourth former president convicted since Brazil’s return to democracy in 1985. Alongside coup plotting, he was found guilty of inciting the January 2023 riots that saw hundreds of supporters storm the Supreme Court, Congress, and the presidential palace.
As the dust settles, the case has left Brazil grappling with questions about democracy, justice, and the limits of political power.
