Lula slams US over visa sanctions linked to Bolsonaro trial
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Brazil's president slams the US visa bans on officials involved in Jair Bolsonaro’s coup trial as “arbitrary” and a violation of national sovereignty.
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Demonstrators protest US President Donald Trump's announcement of 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods and against a US report that cited counterfeit product sales in Brazil in Sao Paulo on July 18, 2025 (AP)
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva denounced the US decision to impose visa bans on officials involved in former President Jair Bolsonaro’s trial, calling it “arbitrary” and “baseless" and condemning foreign interference in Brazil’s judiciary as “unacceptable".
In a statement on Saturday, Lula said the move violated core principles of mutual respect and national sovereignty.
The tensions follow a decision by the Trump administration to sanction Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his family, and other officials. The visa bans came in response to the Brazilian Supreme Court’s actions against Bolsonaro, a Trump ally accused of attempting to stage a coup after his 2022 election loss.
Lula vows not to bow to threats
Lula responded firmly, "I am certain that no form of intimidation or threat, from anyone, will compromise the most important mission of Brazil's powers and institutions, which is to permanently defend and uphold the democratic rule of law."
Solicitor General Jorge Messias, the top legal official in President Lula’s administration, revealed late Friday on X that Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet was also among those targeted by the US visa bans.
Condemning the move as "arbitrary", Messias emphasized that no “improper maneuver” or “sordid conspiratorial act” would deter Brazil’s judiciary from carrying out its constitutional duties with independence.
Seven other members of Brazil’s Supreme Court hit with visa restrictions
Government Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann later confirmed that, in addition to Justice Alexandre de Moraes, seven other members of Brazil’s 11-member Supreme Court were hit with US visa restrictions. The list includes Justices Luis Roberto Barroso, Dias Toffoli, Cristiano Zanin, Flavio Dino, Carmen Lúcia, Edson Fachin, and Gilmar Mendes.
Trump has condemned the legal proceedings against Jair Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt, a phrase he frequently uses to describe investigations into his own conduct, and has called for the charges to be dropped. In a letter issued last week, Trump announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports starting August 1, opening the message with sharp criticism of Bolsonaro’s trial.
Bolsonaro is currently facing trial before Brazil’s Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to prevent President Lula from assuming office in January 2023.
While the former president denies orchestrating an attempt to overthrow the government, he has admitted to participating in meetings that sought to reverse the results of the 2022 election.
