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Lula hails Bolsonaro 'historic' verdict, tells Trump Brazil's democracy not negotiable

Iran Press TV

Monday, 15 September 2025 11:18 AM

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expressed satisfaction over the "historic" verdict handed to former president Jair Bolsonaro, telling US President Donald Trump the country's democracy is not negotiable.

Brazil's Supreme Court last week sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison after being convicted on coup charges for plotting to remain in power following his 2022 election defeat.

Seven of his co-conspirators, including the former head of the navy, Adm Almir Garnier Santos, three four-star army generals, and the former head of Brazil's foreign intelligence service, were also found guilty and sentenced to prison.

Lula dismissed the objections from the United States to the verdict handed to Bolsonaro and his accomplices in the abortive coup.

Lula said he was proud of the Brazilian Supreme Court's "historic" verdict.

He described the failed coup by Bolsonaro and his accomplices as "an effort to subvert the popular will at the ballot box."

"The judgment was the result of proceedings carried out in accordance with Brazil's 1988 Constitution, enacted after two decades of struggle against a military dictatorship," Lula 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," he added.

The court's conviction of Bolsonaro, he continued, "safeguards" Brazil's institutions and the democratic rule of law.

Trump, a close ally of Bolsonaro, condemned the court's verdict as "a terrible thing" and said it was "very bad for Brazil."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed on X that the court had "unjustly ruled."

Rubio described Bolsonaro's trial as a "witch hunt."

He said Washington would "respond accordingly," threatening to slap fresh sanctions against Brazil over Bolsonaro's conviction.

In response, Lula criticized the Americans for their decision to turn their back on the long-standing relationship of more than 200 years between the two countries, saying such a move means "everyone loses."

Lula urged the Americans to allow the two countries to continue to work together in areas where they have common goals.

"President Trump, we remain open to negotiating anything that can bring mutual benefits. But Brazil's democracy and sovereignty are not on the table," Lula said.

Brazil predicts fresh US tariffs would have an impact on the country's economy, including through the loss of tens of thousands of jobs, but not derail it, given its strong trade ties with other countries such as China.

In the United States, American consumers are also paying more for products imported from Brazil, including coffee, which has already seen recent price rises due to droughts.