Thousands of sympathizers from Jair Bolsonaro came down to the streets of several cities in Brazil, after the announcement of US sanctions against the judge in charge of the ex-far-right president on Sunday, August 3. Most of the demonstrators were dressed in green and yellow, the colors of Brazil, and some brandished flags from the United States or signs with the mention “Thank you Trump”.
Jair Bolsonaro, 70, who lives in the Brazilian capital, could not take part in this demonstration. Aimed by an investigation for alleged obstruction of his trial for attempted coup, he is forced to wear an electronic bracelet, to stay at home evening and weekend, and it is forbidden to use social networks.
Accused of conspired to maintain himself in power despite his electoral defeat against the current left president Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva in 2022, he faces a heavy prison sentence during the trial which should be completed in the coming weeks.
“He can’t speak, but we can speak in his place”chanted the deputy Marco Feliciano, harangating the demonstrators massaged on avenue Paulista, an emblematic artery of Sao Paulo, where the main demonstration took place, which brought together more than 37,000 people according to the estimates of a research group from the University of Sao Paulo (USP). It is three times more than during the last demonstration on the same avenue in the presence of the ex-president in late June.
A member of his entourage sent, on Sunday, to the France-Presse agency a video of Mr. Bolsonaro, in Bermuda and jersey of the Brazilian football team, looking on his phone images of the demonstrations.
American customs surcharge of 50 % on certain Brazilian products
On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department inflicted financial sanctions on the Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, in charge of this trial and also hated by the Bolsonarists for his fight against the disinformation they assimilate to the “Censorship”. The same day, Donald Trump invoked a “Witch hunt” Against its far-right ally to justify a 50 % customs surcharge on certain Brazilian products exported to the United States, a measure which must enter into force on August 6.
On Copacabana beach, where the demonstration took place in Rio de Janeiro, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, eldest son of the ex-president, welcomed the sanctions inflicted on the Moraes judge: “The greatest democracy in the world has appointed him as a human rights violence”.
On Sunday, Lula spoke of the punitive surcharge on Brazilian products exported to the United States during a workers’ party event, his political training, in Brasilia. “We want to negotiate (…), we don’t want to fight. But they don’t think we’re afraid ”said the president of the first economy in Latin America. “We want to negotiate on equal conditions, we want to be respected at our fair value”he insisted.
