Brazilian President Lula rejects Trump's “witch hunt” claims over Bolsonaro arrest

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva struck back Sunday at mounting criticism from Washington following the conviction of his right-wing predecessor Jair Bolsonaro on charges of plotting a coup.

In a guest essay for the New York Times, written directly to US President Donald Trump, Lula said he was “proud” of Brazil’s Supreme Court ruling, calling it a necessary safeguard for democracy.

“This was not a ‘witch hunt,’” Lula wrote, countering accusations made by Trump and other US officials. His opinion piece was published under the headline “Brazilian democracy and sovereignty are non-negotiable.”

Bolsonaro, 70, was handed a 27-year prison sentence last week after being found guilty in a 4–1 ruling of conspiring to overturn Lula’s 2022 election victory. His legal team has vowed to appeal.

The verdict has triggered a diplomatic storm across the Americas. Trump described the conviction as “very surprising,” while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Washington would “respond accordingly.”

Already, the Trump administration has imposed a 50 percent tariff on many Brazilian imports, justifying the move by citing the Bolsonaro trial and alleging threats to US security and trade interests. The United States also sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the Bolsonaro case and has been a leading figure in combating online disinformation in Brazil, a stance that has put him at odds with US-based tech companies.

Lula pushed back hard against these measures, calling the tariffs “not only misguided but illogical,” noting that the US enjoys a trade surplus with Brazil. He argued that the absence of economic reasoning “makes it clear that the motivation of the White House is political.”

He also rejected US claims that Brazil was targeting American technology platforms like X. “These firms were being regulated, not censored,” he wrote, dismissing Washington’s allegations of unfair practices in Brazil’s electronic payments sector, including its PIX system, as “baseless.”

Lula, 79, emphasized his intention to keep dialogue open with the US despite the tensions “to establish an open and frank dialogue” with Trump, while stressing that Brasília remains “open” to negotiation.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly attacked Brazil’s judiciary, drawing parallels between Bolsonaro’s trial and his own legal challenges over the January 6 Capitol riot. “It followed months of investigations that uncovered plans to assassinate me, the vice president and a Supreme Court justice,” Lula said, underscoring the seriousness of the case.

Bolsonaro, currently under house arrest and barred from social media, made a rare public appearance on Sunday for a hospital visit. His physician, Claudio Birolini, revealed that eight skin lesions had been removed and were undergoing biopsies. The doctor added that the former president appeared “quite weak” and was suffering from mild anemia, “probably due to poor nutrition over the last month.”

Outside the hospital, loyal supporters waved flags and chanted in his defense. “I hope justice will prevail. It’s difficult, but with the intervention of other countries...I am hopeful that it will turn out well,” said Francisco Costa, a 67-year-old engineer.

The conviction of Bolsonaro, once seen as Trump’s strongest ally in South America, has left relations between the hemisphere’s two largest economies at their most strained point in years.