Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro forced to wear ankle monitor, banned from social media and embassies as Trump, Marco Rubio retaliate with tariffs and visa bans
Photo Credit: Reuters via The Hindu
Brasilia, July 19, 2025 — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is once again at the center of political and judicial firestorm after federal police raided his residence on Friday in connection with a coup plot he allegedly orchestrated following his 2022 election loss.
The raid, authorized by Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, also imposed stringent restrictions on Bolsonaro, 70, including wearing an electronic ankle monitor, a nighttime curfew, and a social media ban—moves the former army captain described as a “supreme humiliation.”
Bolsonaro is barred from leaving home between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on weekdays, and confined all day on weekends and public holidays. He is also prohibited from contacting foreign embassies, a measure aimed at preventing any possible asylum request.
“My Father Is a Hostage,” Says Exiled Son Eduardo Bolsonaro
The former president’s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, now self-exiled in the United States, denounced the raid on social media platform X, writing:
“They raided my father’s house this morning… Judge Moraes has long abandoned any semblance of impartiality. He’s acting like a political gangster in robes.”
Eduardo added that the judge was "trying to criminalize President Trump and the U.S. government" and accused Moraes of taking his father “hostage” because he couldn’t retaliate directly against American authorities.
Trump Imposes 50% Tariff, Rubio Cancels Judge Moraes' U.S. Visa
In a bold intervention, former U.S. President Donald Trump, a known Bolsonaro ally, imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, calling the coup case a “witch hunt.”
Joining the fray, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of Moraes’ U.S. visa and imposed visa bans on other judges who supported the restrictions, including their immediate family members.
“Brazil’s judiciary has become a tool of persecution and censorship,” said Rubio, slamming the crackdown as a “political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro.”
Coup Trial Heats Up as Bolsonaro Risks 40-Year Jail Term
Bolsonaro is currently on trial for allegedly plotting to overturn the democratic order in Brazil following his 2022 defeat by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Prosecutors on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to convict Bolsonaro and seven others of armed criminal association and conspiracy to overthrow the elected government.
According to the charges, the coup attempt fizzled out due to lack of military support, but its aftermath included violent riots in early 2023, where Bolsonaro supporters—nicknamed "Bolsonaristas"—stormed key government buildings demanding military intervention to unseat Lula.
Bolsonaro has denied all allegations and insists he had no plans to flee Brazil or seek asylum.
“I never thought of going to an embassy,” he said outside justice secretariat offices in Brasilia, after being detained briefly during the raid where cash was also seized.
Bolsonaro vs Lula: 2026 Election Showdown?
Despite the legal challenges, Bolsonaro remains defiant about his political future and has expressed intent to run in 2026. However, a separate ruling in 2023 already barred him from holding public office due to disinformation campaigns targeting Brazil’s electoral system.
Meanwhile, President Lula, 79, confirmed on Friday that he intends to seek another term:
“I will not hand this country over to that bunch of lunatics who almost destroyed it.”
Echoes of U.S. Capitol Riots and Global Polarization
The Bolsonaro trial has drawn comparisons to Trump’s legal troubles over the January 6 Capitol riots, with both leaders claiming political persecution.
Judge Moraes has emerged as a key figure in Brazil’s fight against disinformation and extremism. In 2024, he ordered a 40-day suspension of Elon Musk’s social media platform X in Brazil for non-compliance with content moderation, primarily due to pro-Bolsonaro misinformation.
As geopolitical tensions rise and the U.S.–Brazil relationship strains under retaliatory moves, the Bolsonaro case is fast turning into a diplomatic and ideological flashpoint between right-wing populist allies and liberal democratic institutions.