Former President Bolsonaro under house arrest, US-Brazil tensions escalate

The arrest warrant was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. According to the ruling, seen by AFP, the immediate cause was Bolsonaro's "repeated failure to comply" with court orders. On August 3, allies broadcast a live call between him and his son at one of the many support rallies held across Brazil.

In his ruling, Judge Moraes angrily declared that the judiciary would not let a defendant "act like a fool" just because of his "political and economic power".

Mr Bolsonaro’s representative confirmed that he had been placed under house arrest by police at his residence in Brasilia. Under court orders, he must wear an electronic monitoring device, is not allowed to receive visitors except his lawyers, and is prohibited from using any mobile phone.

The incident comes amid a bitter diplomatic standoff between Brazil and the United States. President Donald Trump, a close ally of Mr Bolsonaro, has called the former Brazilian president's trial a "witch hunt".

To exert pressure, the Trump administration has imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods and imposed sanctions on Judge Alexandre de Moraes personally, according to Reuters. The US State Department issued a statement condemning the house arrest, accusing Judge Moraes of using Brazilian institutions to silence the opposition and threaten democracy.

Responding to these moves, according to a statement from the Brazilian government, incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with Judge Moraes and called the actions of Mr. Bolsonaro's faction a "betrayal of the country".

The house arrest order is the latest development in a larger case. According to a Supreme Court indictment, Mr. Bolsonaro is on trial for allegedly leading a coup plot to overturn his defeat in the 2022 election.

The incident came to a head in January 2023, when his supporters stormed and vandalized government buildings in the capital Brasilia, a riot that was compared by international media to the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Mr Bolsonaro's lawyer said he would appeal, while his sons have criticized the decision. According to CNN Brasil, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro called it "clear revenge" for US sanctions.

Political analysts told news agencies that the arrest warrant could give President Trump an excuse to impose even tougher sanctions on Brazil.