President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on Sunday defended his nation’s judiciary after the conviction of former president Jair Bolsonaro on coup charges, while sharply criticizing Washington’s trade retaliation against his government.
In an op-ed published by The New York Times, Lula hailed last week’s Supreme Court ruling that sentenced Bolsonaro, 70, to more than 27 years in prison for orchestrating the January 2023 riots in Brasília, when his supporters stormed Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court. He rejected claims by U.S. officials that the trial was politically motivated.
“This was not a witch hunt,” Lula wrote. “The judgment was the result of proceedings carried out in accordance with Brazil’s 1988 Constitution … after months of investigations that uncovered assassination plots and a draft decree to annul the 2022 election.”
Bolsonaro, who lost his re-election bid to Lula by a narrow margin, has denied wrongdoing. On Saturday, he made his first public appearance since the verdict, visiting a hospital in São Paulo.
Lula’s essay coincided with rising diplomatic friction between Brasília and Washington. The Trump administration last week imposed a 50 percent tariff on key Brazilian exports, including beef and coffee, measures Lula called “misguided” and “illogical.” He accused the White House of seeking to shield Bolsonaro from accountability.
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The Brazilian leader noted that the United States has enjoyed a $410 billion trade surplus with Brazil over the past 15 years, arguing the new tariffs were politically driven rather than economic. “Everyone loses when the United States turns its back on a relationship built over two centuries,” he wrote, urging cooperation on climate, energy and development despite disagreements.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned of further action, including sanctions against Brazilian judges, deepening tensions between the two nations. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has dismissed Bolsonaro’s trial as comparable to his own legal troubles following the January 6 Capitol attack, which were dropped after his re-election.
For Lula, however, the case represents more than politics. “The conviction safeguards Brazil’s institutions and democracy,” he said. “Our democratic order is not up for negotiation.”
