Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, warned that he expects new sanctions from the United States against officials in his country and, possibly, more tariffs as a result of the judicial investigation his father is facing.
In an interview with Reuters in Washington after meeting with senior U.S. officials, the lawmaker said he sees no room for Brazil to negotiate a reduction in U.S. tariffs on its exports without concessions from the Supreme Court. “The Supreme Court justices must understand that they have lost power,” he said. “There is no scenario in which the Supreme Court will emerge victorious from this whole mess. They are in conflict with the world’s largest economic power.”
Eduardo Bolsonaro's presence in the US capital has placed him at the center of bilateral tensions. Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian products and financial sanctions against Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case against Jair Bolsonaro, demanding an end to what he called a"witch hunt" against the former president.
The former president, a retired army captain, faces trial for an alleged plot to overturn his 2022 election defeat, accusations he denies.
Eduardo Bolsonaro described tariffs on beef, coffee, fish, footwear and other products as “bitter medicine” meant to curb what he sees as an uncontrolled legal offensive against his father. “I’ve told everyone trying to approach this only from a trade perspective: it won’t work. First, the United States needs to receive a signal that we are resolving our institutional crisis,” he said.
On Wednesday, the State Department increased the pressure by revoking and restricting visas for several Brazilian officials and their family members, citing their participation in an exchange program involving Cuban doctors. Bolsonaro said the restrictions could extend to Health Minister Alexandre Padilha and former President Dilma Rousseff for their roles in that initiative. Rousseff served as chief of staff and successor to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the end of his second term in 2010. Neither responded to requests for comment.
The lawmaker also argued that new tariffs could be imposed “because the authorities haven’t changed their behavior.” Since moving to the United States in March, he has sought Trump’s support for his father, advocating for sanctions against Moraes and his family and calling the tariffs a “last resort.”
President Lula has rejected Trump’s demands, which he considers an affront to sovereignty, and has refused to “humiliate” himself with a call to the White House. Speaking to Reuters last week, he called Jair Bolsonaro and his son “traitors” for seeking the Republican’s intervention.
In another interview, Jair Bolsonaro stated that he hoped his son would apply for US citizenship so he wouldn't have to return to Brazil. Eduardo Bolsonaro avoided detailing his immigration status, although he stated that he and his family have permission to remain in the country"for a long time" and did not rule out seeking asylum or eventually citizenship.
