SAO PAULO – In a significant judicial move, a Brazilian judge has placed 10 individuals under house arrest on Saturday. These individuals had been previously convicted for their involvement in a scheme to keep former President Jair Bolsonaro in power following his 2022 election loss.
Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes issued the orders shortly after a dramatic development across the border in Paraguay. Authorities there detained a former police chief implicated in the same plot, who was then extradited to Brazil.
Silvinei Vasques, the former head of Brazil’s Federal Highway Police, was returned to Brazil late Friday. He had clandestinely crossed into Paraguay and attempted to fly to El Salvador using fake Paraguayan documents. Brazilian authorities reported that Vasques had removed his ankle monitor on Thursday and fled to Paraguay using a rented vehicle.
The individuals placed under house arrest this weekend had previously faced restrictions, such as ankle monitoring or curfews requiring them to remain at a designated location overnight. Among these is Filipe Martins, who formerly served as an advisor to Bolsonaro.
In September, Bolsonaro received a 27-year prison sentence for his role in an attempted coup intended to extend his presidency despite his electoral defeat in 2022.
The trials concerning Bolsonaro, along with several high-ranking military and police officials implicated in the coup attempt, have garnered widespread attention in Brazil. The country has been vigilant in safeguarding its democracy, restored in 1985 after years of military rule.
U.S. President Donald Trump initially described the proceedings against ideological ally Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt” and raised tariffs on Brazilian imports over Bolsonaro’s trial, which he described as an “international disgrace.”
The Trump administration had also placed financial sanctions against De Moraes, the lead judge in Bolsonaro’s trial. But the U.S. government appears to have softened its stance following Bolsonaro’s conviction. .
In November, Trump signed an executive order lowering tariffs on Brazilian beef and coffee, two of the country’s largest exports to the United States.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury lifted sanctions against De Moraes and his wife, as both nations continue to engage in trade negotiations.
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