Eduardo Bolsonaro was sentenced to four years and two months in prison by Brazil’s Supreme Court for attempting to lobby U.S. officials to aid the former president in his coup‑trial. The son of the dissolved 2019‑2022 administration, he moved to the United States in 2025 while his father was convicted of plotting a military coup.
Eduardo, 41, was charged with urging U.S. authorities to impose tariffs, sanctions or other measures against Brazil. He said the charges were baseless, that he had never been formally served, and that he was only informed through the press.
The U.S. had shown sympathy to the Bolsonaro family—Trump called the case a witch hunt and imposed a 50 % tariff on Brazil in July 2023. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later vowed that Washington would respond to the conviction, and the Trump administration sanctioned a Brazilian Supreme Court Justice linked to the case.
Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the nation was ready to negotiate trade with the U.S. but rejected sanctions on a domestic judge as an unacceptable interference in its justice system. The sanctions were subsequently withdrawn.
This conviction underscores how Jair Bolsonaro’s 2022 election loss, the January 2023 storming of Brazil’s government buildings, and current U.S.–Brazil relations have been intertwined in a high‑profile political conflict. The case illustrates how former presidents and their families continue to clash over power, legality and international influence long after office is lost.
