Previously, the U.S. president claimed that the far-right politician was the victim of a ‘witch hunt.’

In an open letter published Monday, Brazilian Supreme Court Chief Justice Luis Roberto Barroso said that the tariff sanctions announced by U.S. President Donald Trump are based on a misunderstanding of the facts, arguing that the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro is proceeding with absolute transparency.

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“Different worldviews in open and democratic societies are part of life, and that’s a good thing. But they don’t give anyone the right to distort the truth or deny concrete facts that everyone saw and experienced,” said the head of Brazil’s highest court, without explicitly naming Trump.

Earlier, the Republican leader claimed that Bolsonaro was the victim of a “witch hunt” and called for an end to what he described as “persecution.” Bolsonaro is currently on trial before the Supreme Court, accused of leading a coup plot to stay in power after his defeat in the 2022 election, which was won by current President Lula da Silva.

Justice Barroso said that in Brazil “only actions that constitute crimes are prosecuted” and that “no one is persecuted.” He also described serious incidents beginning in 2019, in which Bolsonaro and his far-right supporters attempted to destabilize the democratic order.

He cited the attempted terrorist attack at the Brasilia airport, a bomb attempt targeting the Supreme Court, “false accusations of electoral fraud,” “death threats” against Supreme Court justices, and an attempted coup that included a plan to assassinate Lula and other officials.

The text reads, “The local far right pretends not to notice when Trump taxes Brazil 50%. But when Lula’s government defends Brazil, it comes out attacking. Respect Brazil. Our side is the side of the workers. Bolsonaro imposed taxes on Brazil.”

In this context, Barroso stated that the criminal cases underway are proceeding “strictly in accordance with due legal process, with absolute transparency at every stage.”

He emphasized that the investigations are based on “serious indications of crimes,” and that the case files include “confessions, audio recordings, videos, texts, and other materials intended to document the facts.”

“The Supreme Court will judge independently and based on the evidence. If there is proof, the guilty will be held accountable. If there is not, they will be acquitted,” he assured.

In the letter titled “In Defense of the Constitution, Democracy, and Justice,” Barroso rejected any form of censorship, responding to Trump’s criticism of the court’s rulings that led to the removal of social media accounts used to spread disinformation about democratic institutions.

The justice also defended a recent decision by the court’s full bench that expanded the accountability of social media platforms for criminal content. He said the agreement reached is “less strict than European regulations” and “preserves freedom of expression and of the press.”

“In difficult times, we must hold firmly to the values and principles that unite us: sovereignty, democracy, freedom, and justice,” Barroso concluded.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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