Brazilian politician Eduardo Bolsonaro stirring up controversy, fuelling tension in US-Brazil relations, labeled as 'instigator'
Eduardo Bolsonaro: A Far-Right Brazilian Politician at the Centre of US-Brazil Tensions
Eduardo Bolsonaro, a 41-year-old lawyer and son of Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, has become a prominent figure in Brazilian politics, earning the record for the most votes ever received for a congressman in Brazil, with over 1.8 million votes in 2018.
Born on July 10, 1984, Eduardo shares a political stance with his father, holding a far-right ideology, a hatred of communism, a fondness for weapons, and skepticism about climate change. He has also cultivated ties with the American far-right, particularly during the overlap of Jair Bolsonaro's and Donald Trump's presidencies.
In the political conflict between Brazil and the United States, Eduardo Bolsonaro has played a central role. He has actively lobbied in the U.S. to impose punitive measures against Brazil stemming from legal actions against his family and their allies in Brazil. After Jair Bolsonaro lost the 2022 presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Eduardo immediately began an international campaign to pressure Brazil’s judiciary, which is prosecuting his father and associates for alleged efforts to overturn the election and orchestrate a coup attempt.
Eduardo convinced the Trump administration to impose significant tariffs on Brazilian goods, notably celebrating the 50% tariff as the "Moraes Tariff," aimed at penalizing Alexandre de Moraes, a key Brazilian Supreme Court judge involved in investigations against the Bolsonaro family. He took credit for both the tariffs and the Magnitsky sanctions freezing Moraes’s assets in the U.S., framing this as a mission to punish Brazilian judicial actions he portrays as politically motivated persecution.
These moves have come amid strained U.S.-Brazil relations, with experts noting Eduardo's campaign as a political gambit that risks hurting Brazil’s economy and international standing. His lobbying efforts are reportedly funded partly by Jair Bolsonaro himself, who acknowledges providing substantial financial support toward this cause.
In the United States, Eduardo Bolsonaro has been lobbying President Donald Trump and his entourage to act in defense of his father. However, political scientist Leandro Gabiati of consulting firm Dominium deems it unlikely that Eduardo Bolsonaro will run for presidency due to widespread "disapproval" from his US lobbying.
Eduardo Bolsonaro has declared himself "ready" to seek Brazil's highest office if given the green light by his father. He has three brothers also in politics: Flavio (a senator), Carlo, and Renan (city councilors). Last November, he attended Trump's election night party at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
However, Eduardo Bolsonaro has faced criticism and investigation in Brazil. He has repeatedly called Judge Alexandre de Moraes a "tyrant" and more recently a "psychopath out of control." He is currently under investigation, ordered by Judge Alexandre de Moraes, into obstruction of justice in his father's trial. Last week, Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on many Brazilian exports to the United States, citing a "witch hunt" against his ally.
Everything indicates that Eduardo Bolsonaro will be arrested if he returns to Brazil now, according to political scientist Leandro Gabiati. A former senior official of his father's government has described Eduardo as a "provocateur" who "says whatever he pleases, without necessarily mastering the subject." Washington also slapped financial sanctions on Alexandre de Moraes, the presiding judge in the coup case of Brazil's Supreme Court.
In 2018, Eduardo Bolsonaro publicly expressed his open disdain for Brazilian institutions by declaring it would take just "a soldier and a corporal to shut down the Supreme Court." This statement, among others, has raised concerns about his commitment to democratic values and the rule of law.
In summary, Eduardo Bolsonaro is a key political actor leveraging his connections in the U.S. far-right to retaliate against Brazil’s judiciary and current government, contributing directly to the diplomatic tensions and economic sanctions between Brazil and the United States.
- Eduardo Bolsonaro, a son of Brazil's former president and a prominent Brazilian politician with far-right ideologies, has been advocating for punitive measures against Brazil in the United States, targeting key figures like Judge Alexandre de Moraes.
- Amid strained U.S.-Brazil relations, Eduardo Bolsonaro has been lobbying in the United States to impose tariffs on Brazilian goods and implement Magnitsky sanctions against figures like Judge Alexandre de Moraes.
- Despite facing criticism and investigation in Brazil for obstruction of justice, Eduardo Bolsonaro has declared his intention to seek Brazil's highest office if given the green light, following his family members into politics.
- In the casino-personalities and politics realm, Eduardo Bolsonaro was spotted at Donald Trump's election night party in Florida, indicating a potential influence from the gambling and casino industry.
- The policy-and-legislation implications of Eduardo Bolsonaro's actions in the United States have stirred controversies, with experts questioning his commitment to democratic values and the rule of law, as well as noting potential negative effects on Brazil’s economy and international standing.
