Jair Bolsonaro

Lula Defends Bolsonaro Verdict, Rebukes U.S. Tariffs

September 15, 2025 5:06 am

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 …

Reckless Bolsonaro Holds Rally Amid Coronavirus Surge

May 25, 2020 8:34 am

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro hit Brasilia’s streets Sunday for a rally with his supporters, ditching his face mask and breaking social distancing measures even as coronavirus cases surged.

The far-right president arrived at the rally outside the presidential palace in a white surgical mask, but soon took it off to greet the cheering crowd, shake hands and embrace supporters, at one point even hoisting a young boy onto his shoulders.

The rally came as Brazil emerged as a new flashpoint in the pandemic.

With nearly 350,000 confirmed cases, Brazil now has the second-biggest caseload in the world, after the United …

Brazil Health Minister Sacked Over Stay-At-Home Measure

April 17, 2020 8:38 am

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has sacked his health minister after clashing with him over how to fight the new coronavirus.

Few global leaders have done more than Bolsonaro to downplay the global pandemic, which has killed nearly 2,000 Brazilians.

He has called the virus “a little flu” and criticized state governors for imposing the shutdowns supported by health experts and the popular outgoing minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta.

In televised remarks met with pot-banging protests in major cities, Bolsonaro said Mandetta did not fully appreciate the need to protect Brazilian jobs and called again for a resumption of economic activity.

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Bolsonaro Bolsonaro Exempts Churches From Quarantine

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Exempts Churches From Quarantine

March 27, 2020 5:52 pm

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro decreed Thursday that places of worship are “essential services” that must be exempted from coronavirus confinement orders, the far-right leader’s latest jab at aggressive containment measures.

The decree, published in the government diary, adds “religious activities of any kind” to the list of exempted services, alongside supermarkets and pharmacies.

It adds that such activities must be carried out “in accordance with health ministry guidelines.”

Bolsonaro, who was elected in 2018 with the backing of Brazil’s burgeoning evangelical Christian community, has clashed with local authorities who have closed schools and businesses in places such as Sao Paulo …

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro Okays Bill Opening Land To Mining

February 6, 2020 6:59 am

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday introduced a controversial bill that opens up indigenous lands, many of them in the Amazon, to mining, agricultural activities and hydraulic energy production.

The far-right president described the measure, which still needs approval in Congress, as a “dream” while indigenous leaders have labeled it a “genocide bill.”

The measure, which has not yet been published, allows both indigenous and third-party developers to participate in the new land development.

“I hope that this dream… comes true,” Bolsonaro said during a ceremony.