Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has blasted the United States for its unjust criticism over the conviction of the country's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, on coup charges. Lula accused the Trump administration of slapping the country with “misguided and illogical tariffs”.
The comments came after former right-wing president Bolsonaro made his first public appearance in weeks after the conviction. Lula said Brazilian democracy was not for sale while taking an indirect swipe at the United States president, Donald Trump, who termed the case against his friend and ideological affiliate a “political witch hunt”.
He said Bolsonaro’s actions were aimed at “subverting the popular will at the ballot box”. Lula hailed the Supreme Court’s verdict, saying this would send a strong message to everyone who thinks they can take down the institutions of the country by force.
Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a coup d'état by taking out Lula and the Supreme Court Chief Justice Moraes. “This was not a witch hunt but justice,” he said. Lula added that the former president was convicted under Brazil’s 1988 constitution, adopted after two decades of the military dictatorship.
Also Read: Bolsonaro trial splits Brazil Supreme Court judges
He said, “It followed months of investigations that uncovered plans to assassinate me, the vice president and a Supreme Court justice. Authorities also discovered a draft decree that would have effectively annulled the 2022 election results.”
For his part, Trump, who has repeatedly labelled the judicial proceedings a “witch-hunt”, has said he was “surprised” by the ruling.
The US president, who also had faced criminal charges over the US Capitol attack before they were withdrawn following his re-election, likened the trial against Bolsonaro to the legal actions against him. “It’s very much like what they tried to do with me, but they didn’t get away with it,” Trump said on Thursday, describing Bolsonaro as a “good president” and a “good man”.
Also Read: Brazil court to decide Bolsonaro fate in coup trial today
Follow us
