Brazil's Supreme Court blocked former President Jair Bolsonaro from traveling to the United States to attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, citing concerns about flight risk and lack of official invitation.
Brazil 's Supreme Court rejected former President Jair Bolsonaro 's request to temporarily reinstate his passport, preventing him from attending US President-elect Donald Trump 's inauguration next week. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a frequent target of Bolsonaro's criticism, ruled that Bolsonaro's current lack of official position precludes him from representing Brazil at the event. Additionally, the court found Bolsonaro's claim of an invitation insufficiently substantiated.
Bolsonaro, facing multiple investigations, including allegations of attempting to cling to power despite his electoral defeat, had his passport confiscated by federal police in February 2024 due to concerns about him fleeing the country. He vehemently denies all charges against him. Bolsonaro sought permission to travel from January 17 to 22 to participate in the inauguration ceremony on January 20 and a Hispanic inaugural ball. A vocal admirer of Trump, Bolsonaro expressed his enthusiasm on social media, stating his intention to represent the conservative, right-wing, and the Brazilian people at the event. However, despite presenting an invitation letter signed by inauguration committee co-chairs Steve Witkoff and Kelly Loeffler, Bolsonaro failed to convince the court of his official invitation. Justice de Moraes, adhering to the recommendation of Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, asserted that Bolsonaro's personal interest in the trip did not outweigh the public interest in restricting his travel abroad. Moraes emphasized Bolsonaro's status as a flight risk and his past encouragement of supporters facing legal repercussions for their political affiliations to seek asylum in foreign countries. The exodus of hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters implicated in the January 8, 2023 riots in Brasilia to avoid prosecution further supports this assessment. Notably, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will not attend Trump's inauguration. Bolsonaro's passport was seized in February 2024 during a raid related to investigations into alleged attempts by him and his aides to disregard the 2022 election results and orchestrate an uprising to maintain power. This isn't the first time Bolsonaro's passport request has been denied. In March 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed his application to retrieve his passport following an invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Last November, federal police formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 other individuals, including high-ranking military officers, of attempting a coup. Prosecutor-General Gonet will ultimately decide whether to proceed with charges against Bolsonaro or dismiss the investigation. Legal experts anticipate that Bolsonaro could face trial in the second half of 2025 at the Supreme Court for allegedly falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination status. There is also a significant possibility of a trial before 2026 related to allegations of embezzling jewels gifted by Saudi Arabian authorities. Bolsonaro maintains his innocence, denying any attempts to cling to power after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to his leftist opponent, Lula. Brazilian Ambassador to the U.S., Maria Luiza Viotti, will represent Brazil at Trump's inauguration. President Lula was not officially invited to the ceremony. Trump has extended invitations to several global leaders for his inauguration, including China's President Xi Jinping and Argentina's President Javier Milei
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