Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes may bar former President Jair Bolsonaro from attending the inauguration of U.S. President Trump. Justice Moraes, who has already seized Bolsonaro’s passport, stated that the former president must provide further evidence of an official invitation to consider the request.
Bolsonaro reportedly demanded the return of his passport after claiming he received an invitation to the January 20 inauguration. However, the invitation presented by Bolsonaro originated from his son Eduardo, who received an email invitation to the event in Washington, D.C. Justice Moraes argued that the email was insufficient as official proof.
Bolsonaro, currently under multiple investigations in Brazil, has faced mounting legal challenges, further complicating his ability to leave the country.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been a vocal critic of Justice Moraes. Last year, Moraes temporarily banned X from operating in Brazil, accusing the platform of hosting accounts linked to “digital militias” spreading alleged “fake news” and “misinformation” during Bolsonaro’s presidency.
Musk and X refused to comply with censorship demands, opting instead to shut down operations in Brazil and lay off all staff. Moraes insisted that X name a legal representative, but Musk alleged that Brazil had previously threatened to arrest one of X’s legal representatives.
The ban was lifted after just over a month, with Moraes allowing X to resume services as long as it complied with Brazilian laws.
