After the President of the United States, Donald Trump , expressed support for Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and called the lawsuits against the former president in the Brazilian justice system a “terrible thing” and “persecution”, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated that Brazil is a “sovereign country” that does not accept “interference or guardianship from anyone”.

“The defense of democracy in Brazil is a matter for Brazilians,” said the president in a post on X (formerly Twitter) in which he did not mention either Donald Trump or Jair Bolsonaro. “We have solid and independent institutions. No one is above the law. Especially those who attack freedom and the rule of law.” The statement was released by the Presidency’s Social Communication Secretariat (Secom) in the form of a press release.

On Monday, the 7th, in a post on his social network, Truth Social, Trump asked Brazil to “leave Bolsonaro alone”. The American president described Bolsonaro as a “strong leader, who truly loved his country”. “He is not guilty of anything, except for having fought for the people”, stated Trump.

The expression of support for Jair Bolsonaro comes a day after Trump announced additional tariffs on countries that align themselves with what he called the “anti-American policies of the BRICS” . The BRICS is a forum of the world’s leading emerging economies. The group met this Sunday, the 6th, in Rio de Janeiro, for a summit with sessions on various topics. The congress ends this Monday .

Jair Bolsonaro is a defendant accused of leading an attempted coup d'état after the 2022 elections, when he lost his re-election bid to Lula.