970x125
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Thursday that the U.S. is preparing to “respond accordingly” to Brazil’s 27-year prison sentence for former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of attempting a coup to stay in office after he lost reelection in 2022.
Rubio accused the Brazilian federal court justice who is overseeing the case and others of unfairly targeting Bolsonaro.
“The political persecutions by sanctioned human rights abuser Alexandre de Moraes continue, as he and others on Brazil’s supreme court have unjustly ruled to imprison former President Jair Bolsonaro,” Rubio wrote on social platform X. “The United States will respond accordingly to this witch hunt.”
Earlier this year, the secretary of state also revoked the visas of Moraes, his “allies on the court” and immediate family members over the case.
Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly pushed back on Rubio’s latest remarks.
“Threats like the one made today by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement that attacks a Brazilian authority and ignores the facts and the compelling evidence on record, will not intimidate our democracy,” the diplomatic office wrote on X. “We will continue to defend the sovereignty of the country against aggressions and interference attempts, no matter where they come from.”
It’s unclear when Bolsonaro, 70, could begin his sentence. He has been under house arrest since August, while his son Eduardo has lobbied in the U.S. on his behalf.
Rubio’s remarks echo what President Trump has said about the case. He referred to Bolsonaro’s trial as a “witch hunt” in July and increased tariff rates on Brazilian imports in response.
Bolsonaro, a far-right populist, was found guilty on five counts related to efforts to overturn the results of the October 2022 election that he lost to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
