Brazil court convicts Bolsonaro son over U.S. lobbying

June 17, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

Brazil’s highest court convicted Eduardo Bolsonaro of lobbying for U.S. measures to aid his father during his coup case.

Why this matters

The case adds to tensions between Brazil’s judiciary and allies of Jair Bolsonaro, while highlighting how his legal troubles affected U.S.-Brazil ties. It also underscores the international dimension of Brazil’s response to efforts to overturn the 2022 election result.

Brazil’s highest court convicted Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, of seeking U.S. intervention during his father’s coup trial.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, 41, was charged last year with lobbying U.S. authorities to help his father by imposing tariffs or sanctions on Brazil. A former Brazilian congressman, he relocated to the United States in 2025 before his father was convicted of plotting a military coup and sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Eduardo Bolsonaro wrote on social media Tuesday that the conviction was “baseless and senseless,” and said the justices wanted to silence him and keep him from running for office. He also said he was denied due process because he was never formally served and learned of the case through media reports.

Eduardo Bolsonaro had publicly sought support for his father from the Trump administration, which described the case against the former Brazilian president as a “witch hunt.”

President Donald Trump, who viewed Bolsonaro as an ally, imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil last July. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the move “not only misguided but illogical.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said Washington would respond to Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction. The Trump administration had already sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on July 30, accusing him of abuses tied to Bolsonaro-related cases.

Lula said Brazil was willing to negotiate with the United States on trade, but called sanctions on de Moraes an “unacceptable” interference in Brazil’s justice system. The United States later withdrew the sanctions.

Jair Bolsonaro, who governed from January 2019 to December 2022, was convicted over a plot to overturn his 2022 election loss. The case was linked to a broader effort to keep him in power, including the January 2023 storming of government buildings in Brasilia by his supporters.

“This is nothing more, or less, than an attack on a Political Opponent – Something I know much about!” Trump said at the time. Bolsonaro later thanked Trump for his support.

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