BRASILIA AND SÃO PAULO – The Chief Justice of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), Luís Roberto Barroso, responded to attacks by São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) against the Court and denied the existence of a “dictatorship” of the Judiciary. Through his advisors, the Justice stated that he will speak on behalf of the Supreme Court after the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and that “criminal proceedings are evidence, not political or ideological disputes.”

"I don't like to be a commentator on the political events of the day, and I'm awaiting the trial to speak on behalf of the Supreme Federal Court. The time to do so is after examining the prosecution, the defense, and the presentation of the evidence, to determine who is innocent and who is guilty. Criminal proceedings are about evidence, not political or ideological disputes," the minister said.

Barroso also highlighted that during the military dictatorship in Brazil there was no right to due process or press coverage, in what he described as “a world of shadows”.

"For now, what I can say is that, having lived through and fought against the dictatorship, it was during this period that there was no public and transparent due process, followed by the press and society in general. It was a world of shadows. Today, everything has been done in broad daylight. The trial is a reflection of reality. In life, there's no point in trying to break the mirror because you don't like the image."

In an act held this Sunday, the 7th, on Avenida Paulista in defense of amnesty for those convicted of the attacks of January 8th, Tarcísio stated that he will not accept the “dictatorship of one Power over another” and that “no one can stand the tyranny of a minister like Moraes” any longer.

The statements mark a shift in the governor's tone and a clearer nod to Bolsonaro's stance. Tarcísio had previously avoided directly confronting Justice Alexandre de Moraes and the Supreme Court, with whom he maintained channels of dialogue.

The São Paulo state chief executive is the right's main bet to take over Bolsonaro's estate and run for president in 2026. He was in Brasília last week to personally coordinate the advancement of a bill that would grant amnesty to the former president. The move is seen as the"toll" Tarcísio must pay to become the political heir and run for office.

This Tuesday, the 9th, the trial of the criminal case against Bolsonaro and seven other defendants for coup d'état will resume in the Court's First Chamber. As reported by Estadão , according to assessments by the court's ministers, the expected punishments are between 25 and 30 years in prison. The trial is expected to conclude next Friday, the 12th.