The home arrest warrant against former President Jair Bolsonaro, determined by Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Court (STF), could “aggravate the largest diplomatic crisis that emerged in decades between the two largest nations of the Western hemisphere,” said the American newspaper The New York Times in a report published on Tuesday (5).
According to the publication, the decision of the STF minister threatens to disrupt trade negotiations between Brazil and the US “just before 50% tariffs enter into force this week, which would make many Brazilian products more expensive for US consumers.”
The newspaper remembered in its text that by imposing tariffs against Brazil, US President Donald Trump sought to fight injustices against Bolsonaro, considered an ally of the US government.
“When President Trump imposed exorbitant tariffs on Brazil to help Jair Bolsonaro, a political ally, the largest nation in Latin America kept calm and bet on traditional diplomacy,” the text says. But, according to the NOWthis Brazilian stance “was threatened by the Supreme’s decision” to order Bolsonaro’s house arrest.
O Times He recalls that the United States reaction to the former Brazilian president was immediate: “The United States quickly condemned Minister Moraes’s decision. The State Department published a blunt message in the X:” Let Bolsonaro speak! “. Also accused Judge Moraes of using Brazilian institutions to silence opposition and threaten democracy.”
O New York Times He also addressed the role of Minister Moraes in Brazil, reporting that he “was praised by many for containing attacks on the country’s institutions by Bolsonaro and his allies,” but “was sometimes criticized for going too far in his mission to protect the young Brazilian democracy.” The newspaper highlighted in its text that Moraes ordered the removal of accounts of various people and influencers of social networks, arrested individuals for alleged online threats and acted in many cases as a judge and promoter at the same time.
The report also mentioned that, even with the restrictions imposed by Moraes, Bolsonaro maintains popular support and wants to continue in political life. THE Times He quoted an interview that Bolsonaro gave his own newspaper earlier this year, where he said he trusted Trump to avoid his conviction.
“He suggested that immunity to him and his allies would be the way for an economic respite between Brazil and the United States,” the text says.
O New York Times President Trump’s direct reaction to the ongoing investigations against Bolsonaro also highlighted.
“Trump, 79, classified the case against Bolsonaro as a ‘witch hunt’ and demanded that Brazil remove the accusations. Last week, he hit Brazil with 50% tariffs – the largest fare he imposed on any country this year – even with the United States keeping commercial surplus with Brazil for over a decade,” the text.
