President Donald Trump arrives before a dinner with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at Mar-a-Lago March 7, 2020, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Last week, Trump threatened a 50% tariff on products from Brazil in a letter to the country's president that cited the ongoing case against Bolsonaro.
In November, Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Brazilian Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet detailing the scheme that alleged Bolsonaro and 33 others participated in a plan to remain in power despite losing to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. They allege it involved systematically sowing distrust of the electoral system among the populace, drafting a decree to give the plot a veneer of legality, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan and inciting a riot in the capital.
A panel of justices on Brazil’s Supreme Court accepted the charges against Bolsonaro in March, and it ordered the former leader to stand trial. All five justices ruled in favor of accepting the charges, which included accusations involving a plan to poison Bolsonaro's successor and kill a Supreme Court judge.
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Under Brazilian law, a coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, it could result in a sentence of decades behind bars.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives for a luncheon with senators from his support base at the National Congress building in Brasilia, Brazil, Feb. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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The Washington Post reported Thursday that, according to four sources familiar with the situation, the U.S. is considering levying sanctions against Judge Moraes, who is leading the case against Bolsonaro. The sanctions, according to the sources who spoke with the Post, would come under the Magnitsky Act, which allops the U.S. to impose sanctions against foreign nationals accused of corruption.
After Trump threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil over the case against Bolsonaro, his successor, Lula, vowed retaliation.
"If there’s no negotiation, the reciprocity law will be put to work. If he charges 50 (% tariffs) from us, we will charge 50 from them," Lula said, according to The Associated Press. "Respect is good. I like to offer mine, and I like to receive it."
Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report.
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