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Jair Bolsonaro

Jair Bolsonaro
The latest news and top stories on Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil from 2019 to 2023. In the 2022 general election, Bolsonaro lost to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and on January 8 2023, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed federal government buildings, calling for a coup d'état. A subsequent investigation revealed that Bolsonaro had planned a coup with the military to keep himself in power, and in September 2025 he was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) vetoed a bill to reduce Jair Bolsonaro’s coup sentence on the third anniversary of the January 8 insurrection. Photo: AFP
Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Lula vetoes law cutting Bolsonaro’s 27-year jail sentence

Congress has the last word, however, and can in turn reject the president’s veto.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Bolsonaro has brain injury after falling and hitting head in prison

Americas and the Caribbean

Bolsonaro’s house arrest bid fails, as Brazil court rejects health claims

Brazil

Brazil’s former president Bolsonaro has surgery to treat hiccups, wife says

Bolsonaro, 70, had been hospitalised on Wednesday for hernia surgery. In September, he was jailed for 27 years for ‍plotting a coup.

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. Photo: AFP
Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Bolsonaro backs son’s presidential bid, undergoes hernia surgery

The former president, who is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup, was allowed to leave prison for the operation.

China-Latin America relations

Brazil weighs visa-free entry for Chinese tourists and business travellers

Brazil saw nearly 80 per cent growth in Chinese tourists in 2024 and would join only two neighbours offering visa-free entry.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Lula vows to veto bill slashing Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison term

The proposed law could see the ex-president spend just over two years behind bars for an attempted coup.

Protesters rally against the sentence-reduction bill in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday. Photo: EPA
Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Congress passes bill to cut Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence

If successful, the legislation could see Brazil’s former president serve a little over two years in prison for coup plot.

United States

Opinion | For Trump, the only communists to really dislike are those at home

The limited discussion of China in the new US national security document indicates that the US president’s focus is on domestic challenges to his authority.

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Brazil

Bolsonaro’s son says he could drop his Brazil presidency bid ‘for a price’

Flavio Bolsonaro’s announcement comes as his allies push for amnesty for his father, the jailed former president.

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro, in Brasilia, Brazil on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Bolsonaro begins 27-year prison sentence for coup attempt

Top court closes the case against Brazil’s far-right former president, who was convicted of plotting a coup after his 2022 election defeat.

Jair Bolsonaro is seen through the door of the Federal Police headquarters, where he is imprisoned, in Brasilia on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Brazil

Brazil’s top court upholds jailing of Bolsonaro after ‘attempt to flee’

Top court panel unanimously rules the former president should remain arrested after admitting he broke his ankle monitor.

Brazil

Brazil’s Bolsonaro blames ‘hallucinations’ for violating ankle monitor

Supreme Court justice ordered ex-president’s arrest after the monitor violation, following his 27-year sentence for attempting a coup.

Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Bolsonaro’s arrested amid escape plot fears

Supreme Court Justice orders arrest, confirming Bolsonaro showed intent to ‘break his ankle monitor’ in clear attempt to escape and flee Brazil.

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro gestures after taking medical tests at a hospital in Brasilia in August. Photo: AFP
Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Bolsonaro could be in jail within weeks after coup plot verdict upheld

The former president was convicted in September for attempting to prevent President Lula from taking power after the 2022 polls.

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is seen inside his residence in Brasilia, where he has been under house arrest since August. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

US Senate passes bill to end Trump tariffs against Brazil

Five Republicans crossed partisan lines to back the measure, but it is expected to be blocked by their party’s lawmakers in the House.

Donald Trump

Brazil’s Lula asks Trump to scrap tariffs as leaders agree to meet after ‘friendly’ call

Video call boosts prospects for cooperation despite months of tension over tariffs and the case against former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.

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Brazil

US targets wife of Brazilian Supreme Court judge Moraes with sanctions

The US also revoked the visas of six Brazilian judicial officials as sanctions deepen the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

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Brazil’s Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes (right) and his wife Viviane Barci de Moraes with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia last year. Photo: Reuters
Brazil

Brazilians protest against bill that could lead to a pardon for Bolsonaro.

The bill would make it harder to launch criminal proceedings against lawmakers. Bolsonaro has been convicted of attempting a coup.

Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro diagnosed with skin cancer

The ex-president was recently sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.

Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting coup

The sentence could see the 70-year-old far-right leader spend the rest of his days in jail.

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Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro at the garage of his residence in Brasilia on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil judge votes to acquit in Bolsonaro coup case, breaking with peers

The five-judge panel still seems likely to convict the ex-president, but the vote by Luiz Fux raises the odds of an appeal if that happens.

Judge Luiz Fux takes part in the trial of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Americas and the Caribbean

First 2 of 5 judges in Bolsonaro coup trial vote to convict

The panel is now only one vote away from convicting the ex-president, in a case that has angered US ally Donald Trump.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil court mulls Bolsonaro’s fate, shrugging off US ‘threats’

Brazil case could see the ex-president and Trump ally sentenced to over 40 years in prison for an alleged coup attempt.

Brazil

Coup trial verdict for Bolsonaro threatens to fracture Brazil’s right

With a potential prison sentence looming for the former president, a power struggle could emerge among his allies to inherit control of the movement.

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro at the entrance to his home where he is under house arrest. Photo: AP
Brazil

Brazil’s Bolsonaro under 24-hour police watch over ‘flight risk’

Ex-president’s coup-plotting trial nears a verdict, with prosecutors pointing to a drafted asylum request as evidence he may try to flee.

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro at his home while under house arrest. Photo: Reuters
Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Bolsonaro leaves house arrest for medical exams

The ex-president is awaiting trial for an alleged coup attempt after his 2022 election defeat by leftist leader Lula da Silva.

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Brazil

Bolsonaro placed under house arrest, heightening Brazil-US tensions

Trump administration lashes Supreme Court justice who ordered house arrest of former president.

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