Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has called on President-elect Donald Trump to assist him in reclaiming power, suggesting Trump impose economic sanctions on Brazil during his second term. “Trump is back, and it’s a sign we’ll be back too,” Bolsonaro told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Friday.
Bolsonaro faces a ban on seeking reelection in 2026, imposed by Brazilian courts following accusations that he and several others orchestrated a coup attempt after his 2022 defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The incident culminated on January 8, 2023, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil’s presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court, just a week after Lula’s inauguration.
Despite his legal challenges, Bolsonaro remains determined to run again. “As long as the electoral court doesn’t turn down my registration, it’s valid,” he stated. “They can just put it off as long as possible … until the election is over.”
Bolsonaro, often dubbed the “Trump of the Tropics” for his close alliance with Trump during his presidency, reportedly suggested that Trump could use economic sanctions to pressure Lula’s government. He referenced the U.S. “maximum pressure” campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which ultimately failed.
“Trump has also been very concerned about Venezuela and discussed with me ways in which we can return it to democracy,” Bolsonaro added.
Although Brazilian authorities revoked Bolsonaro’s passport earlier this year, his outreach to Trump continues. His son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian politician, visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on election night to celebrate Trump’s victory.
“I’m not obsessed with power; it’s actually rather tiring at my age,” Bolsonaro told the Journal. “There are also people more intelligent than me … but no one has thicker skin, nor the experience I have.”
