Brazil braces for new US sanctions after Bolsonaro’s conviction angers Trump administration

SAO PAULO AP Brazil braced Friday for practicable new U S sanctions linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro s conviction on coup charges after the administration of President Donald Trump warned it would respond accordingly Trump explained he was very unhappy with the conviction and U S Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on his X account that the U S administration would respond accordingly to this witch hunt Brazil s Foreign Ministry called Rubio s comments an inappropriate threat that would not intimidate the regime adding that the country s judiciary is independent and that Bolsonaro was granted due process Threats like the one made in the current era by U S Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a report that attacks Brazilian authority and ignores the facts and compelling evidence in the event files will not intimidate our democracy Brazil s foreign office explained on X Sen Rog rio Carvalho the regime leader in the Senate described The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday that the administration of President Luiz In cio Lula da Silva has been expecting retaliation from the United States and would move to cushion any blow to Brazilian businesses The executive already has a plan to encouragement affected companies and mitigate losses from the tariffs Brazil is aggressively seeking new markets to make up for a feasible drop in exports to the United States he announced Bolsonaro was convicted Thursday by a Supreme Court panel of an attempted coup aimed at keeping him in power following his October polling defeat to Lula Prosecutors cited Bolsonaro s history of casting doubt on the country s voting system evidence that he discussed with top aides a achievable crisis decree to suspend the electoral process outcome and a riot in the capital after Lula was inaugurated Bolsonaro s defense called the matter invalid arguing that even if evidence suggested Bolsonaro discussed such a decree he never issued one and instead ordered a transition to his elected successor Trump has called the trial a witchhunt and in July communicated a tariff on Brazilian imported goods and explicitly linked the import tax to Bolsonaro s fate Just weeks later the U S Treasury Department placed sanctions on Supreme Court JusticeAlexandre de Moraes who oversaw the development and is seen by Bolsonaro as a personal foe Sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act typically are used against figures accused of human rights abuses Lula in an interview Thursday with local TV Band commented any Trump threat to sanction Brazil was an arrogant denial of Brazil s right to judge its own crimes A president of one country cannot interfere in the sovereign decisions of another country If he chooses to take further action that s his predicament We will respond as measures are taken Lula declared Christopher Garman of Eurasia Group recounted the AP that the White House is likely to extend Magnitsky sanctions to the other justices who convicted Bolsonaro and possibly their families We are also keeping an eye on more tariffs given Brazil s purchase of Russian diesel But this is not something immediate Garman reported Follow AP s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https apnews com hub latin-america Source