The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, submitted a formal request to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) for the preventive detention of federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
This move is part of a series of judicial actions that the government has been promoting against opposition figures, which many sectors describe as a systematic attempt to neutralize political adversaries through the use of the state apparatus.
The request was submitted by pro-government legislators Randolfe Rodrigues and Lindbergh Farias, spokespersons for the Workers' Party (PT), who accuse the lawmaker of having promoted diplomatic efforts in the United States that resulted in the imposition of trade tariffs against Brazil.
El partido del dictador Lula solicitó la detención preventiva del hijo de Bolsonaro.
The alleged efforts, according to the government, would undermine national sovereignty, although in reality they consisted of public meetings and statements to international media, in a context of growing concern over the authoritarian drift of Lula's government.
The judicial initiative arises after Eduardo Bolsonaro publicly acknowledged his participation in meetings with U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, who last week announced that, starting August 1, he will impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian products.
According to Trump, the measure is a response to the "persecution" that Jair Bolsonaro is allegedly suffering at the hands of the authoritarian government of Lula and the judiciary controlled by the highest levels of the Brazilian government. "The political trial against Bolsonaro is a witch hunt", stated the U.S. president in a letter addressed to the authorities of Brazil.
The complaint was incorporated into a judicial file already opened by the STF in March, which investigates the deputy for alleged obstruction of justice through international pressure. Back then, Eduardo Bolsonaro had requested a leave of absence from the Chamber of Deputies and traveled to the United States, claiming that he was a victim of political persecution by the Executive.
Eduardo Bolsonaro - Hijo de Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula's government, which keeps tight control over the institutional levers of the state, has intensified judicial actions against opposition leaders linked to former president Jair Bolsonaro.
The latter faces multiple proceedings initiated by the Supreme Court, in the context of cases that accuse him of organizing an alleged institutional plot after his electoral defeat in 2022. In this context, various sectors denounce a political use of the judicial system and an attempt to dismantle any organized dissent.
For now, the Supreme Federal Court has not decided whether it will proceed with the government's request nor has it set a deadline for its consideration.
