Rule of Law Prevailed with Bolsonaro Conviction, Lula Lectures Trump

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has defended the trial that saw his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for plotting a coup.

Relations between the US and Brazil have been tense in recent months. (Photo: Lula Facebook)

In an opinion piece published in The New York Times, Lula dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that the trial was a "witch hunt," calling it a "historic decision which safeguards our institutions and the democratic rule of law," Vanessa Buschschluter reported for BBC News.

Lula said he wrote the essay to establish an open and frank dialogue with Trump, who has imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports.

He called the tariff hike "not only misguided but illogical."

Relations between the US and Brazil have been tense in recent months, in stark contrast to when Trump’s counterpart in Brazil was Bolsonaro, who often expressed admiration for Trump and visited him at Mar-a-Lago in 2020.

Lula, a left-wing leader known for his direct tone, did not mince words in his editorial.

He noted that over the past 15 years the US had "accumulated a surplus of $410 billion (£302 billion) in bilateral trade in goods and services," adding that the decision to impose tariffs could only be political.

"The US government is using tariffs and the Magnitsky Act to seek impunity for former President Jair Bolsonaro," Lula wrote, referring to sanctions the US imposed on the Supreme Court justice who led the trial.

The proceedings concluded on Thursday, when four of the five justices on the panel judging Bolsonaro found him guilty on all five charges. A simple majority was required for conviction.