Brazil’s Bolsonaro drafted Argentina asylum request, police allege
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Brazil: Police say Bolsonaro wanted Argentina asylum – DW – 08
Authorities say they found evidence on the ex-president’s cell phone requesting political asylum in Argentina. Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest. Police have also called for the former president and his son to be charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly trying to interfere with the trial over plotting an attempted coup. The far-right leader has also been barred from using social media after being accused of trying to disrupt the trial with fiery speeches shared online by his sons and allies. The Argentine government has not yet commented.
Brazil’s federal police said on Wednesday that they had evidence former President Jair Bolsonaro was seeking to flee to Argentina and request political asylum.
Investigators said in a 170-page report that Bolsonaro had drafted a request for political asylum from Argentine President Javier Milei’s government dated February 10, 2024.
Evidence discovered on seized phone
Regarding the evidence investigators say they have, Bolsonaro claimed he was being politically persecuted in Brazil in a 33-page letter addressed to Milei, found on his seized cell phone.
“I, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, request political asylum from Your Excellency in the Republic of Argentina, under an urgent regime, as I find myself in a situation of political persecution in Brazil and fear for my life,” the AP news agency quoted from the document it reviewed and which had been sent to Brazil’s Supreme Court.
AP reported that the former president saved the document two days after authorities conducted a search of his home and office as part of an investigation into an alleged coup plot.
The Argentine government has not yet commented.
Police have also called for the former president and his son to be charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly trying to interfere with the trial over plotting an attempted coup.
Police recommended charging the pair with “coercion in the judicial process” and “abolition of the democratic law.”
Brazil: Mass rally backs amnesty for far-right Bolsonaro To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Bolsonaro under house arrest
Earlier this month, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered that Bolsonaro be placed under house arrest.
The former president is standing trial for allegedly leading a coup attempt after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Last month, the same court ordered that Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle monitor and imposed a curfew on his activities for the duration of the trial.
The far-right leader has also been barred from using social media after being accused of trying to disrupt the trial with fiery speeches shared online by his sons and allies.
Edited by: John Silk
Bolsonaro Wanted to Flee to Argentina Amid Obstruction of Justice Accusations
Brazil’s federal police have revealed evidence indicating that former President Jair Bolsonaro explored the possibility of seeking political asylum in Argentina. This development emerges amidst ongoing legal troubles for Bolsonero, who is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling related to an alleged coup attempt. Investigators unearthed a draft of a request for asylum directed to Argentine President Javier Milei, dated February 10, 2024. This document was saved just two days after authorities conducted searches at Bolsonario’S home and office as part of their coup investigation. This revelation dovetails with recent events where Bolsonoro reportedly spent two nights at the Hungarian Embassy in Brasília, leading to speculations about his intentions to evade potential arrest. The asylum request is related to broader allegations that Bolsonara has obstructed justice during his house arrest.
According to the 170-page police report, investigators unearthed a draft of a request for asylum directed to Argentine President Javier Milei, dated February 10, 2024. This document was saved just two days after authorities conducted searches at Bolsonaro’s home and office as part of their coup investigation. This revelation dovetails with recent events where Bolsonaro reportedly spent two nights at the Hungarian Embassy in Brasília, leading to speculations about his intentions to evade potential arrest.
The asylum request is related to broader allegations that Bolsonaro has obstructed justice during his house arrest. Police claim he has violated precautionary measures put in place by disseminating content aimed at undermining Brazil’s democratic institutions, including the Supreme Court and Congress. The inappropriate communications, detailed in messaging exchanges, were forwarded to the Supreme Court, where Justice Alexandre de Moraes has given Bolsonaro’s legal team 48 hours to respond to these accusations.
In his asylum letter, Bolsonaro articulated feelings of political persecution, stating, “I, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, request political asylum from Your Excellency in the Republic of Argentina, under an urgent regime, as I find myself in a situation of political persecution in Brazil and fear for my life.” The former president has had his passport confiscated by Brazil’s Supreme Court due to concerns he could flee the country, which has led him to attempt to have it returned multiple times.
While Bolsonaro attended Milei’s inauguration in December 2023, Brazil’s current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was notably absent, highlighting the contentious relationship between the two leaders. Moreover, Silas Malafaia, a prominent evangelical pastor and Bolsonaro ally, has also come under scrutiny as investigators seized his passport and cell phone during the investigation, although he has not been formally accused.
Evidence collected by the federal police reveals that Bolsonaro, along with his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, were engaged in discussions showcasing their apprehension regarding political dynamics in the United States, especially concerning former President Donald Trump. Eduardo referenced the precarious situation in Brazil, warning his father of the shifting political landscape. He insisted that their dialogues were innocuous and claimed that the investigation’s revelations came with a political agenda.
Tensions between father and son escalated during these exchanges, with Eduardo expressing frustration over his father’s influence, while simultaneously positioning himself as a key figure in securing support from the U.S. government to navigate their legal challenges. He indicated that the backing of an influential ally like Trump was crucial for Bolsonaro’s chance at avoiding imprisonment.
Further complicating matters, Bolsonaro has also interacted with Martin de Luca, an attorney connected to the Trump Media Group, regarding challenges directed at Justice de Moraes. Communication suggests a collaboration on how best to present Bolsonaro’s public narrative, indicating a strategy aligned with Trump’s rhetoric.
As the legal situation unfolds, a decision from the Supreme Court regarding Bolsonaro’s coup charges is anticipated between September 2 and 12. The implications of the new findings could influence these proceedings, where prosecutors assert that Bolsonaro and several associates orchestrated a criminal plot to subvert election results, including violent threats against political figures.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro drafted Argentina asylum request, police allege
Brazilian ex-President Jair Bolsonaro drafted a letter to Argentine President Javier Milei to request political asylum, police say. The letter had been saved on Bolsonero’s cell phone in February of last year, two days after his passport was seized. The police also found an audio from Bolsonario asking Martin de Luca, a lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Trump Media & Technology Group, to review a social media post he was preparing. The former Brazilian president is on trial for plotting a coup. The trial is set to start in September and has been referred to as a “witch hunt” by Donald Trump, who has called it a grounds for a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods. The lawyer for Trump Media says he was targeted for “standing up to Alexandre de Moraes” and his correspondence was routine legal guidance.
Companies Police find asylum letter on Bolsonaro’s phone
Former Brazil president is on trial for coup plot
Police unveil Bolsonaro messages with lawyer for Trump Media
BRASILIA, Aug 20 (Reuters) – Brazilian ex-President Jair Bolsonaro drafted a letter to Argentine President Javier Milei to request political asylum, federal police said on Wednesday.
The letter had been saved on Bolsonaro’s cell phone in February of last year, two days after his passport was seized, according to police. It was unclear whether it had been sent to Milei.
Sign up here.
An Argentine government source told Reuters that Milei’s office had not received a letter.
The document was part of the final police report that formally accused Bolsonaro and his son, Eduardo, of working to interfere in an ongoing legal process in which the former Brazilian president is on trial for plotting a coup. The trial is set to start in September.
The police also found an audio from Bolsonaro asking Martin de Luca, a lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT.O) , opens new tab and video-sharing platform Rumble (RUM.O) , opens new tab to review a social media post that Bolsonaro was preparing last month with compliments toward Trump.
“The audio attributed to Jair Bolsonaro demonstrates that the former president acts in a subordinate manner to the interests of foreign agents,” the police report said.
Bolsonaro was put under house arrest this month after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes found the former president failed to comply with restraining orders imposed on him for allegedly courting Trump’s interference in the case.
Legal representatives for Bolsonaro did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
De Luca said in a statement on Wednesday evening that he had been targeted for “standing up to Alexandre de Moraes” and that his correspondence was routine legal guidance.
“Offering feedback on a short public note or transmitting a public court filing is entirely ordinary. Yet these routine actions are now twisted into conspiracy theories,” de Luca said.
In a post on X, the younger Bolsonaro, a Brazilian congressman who moved to the U.S. and has been advocating in Washington on behalf of his father, said his work in the U.S. was never aimed at interfering in any ongoing legal process in Brazil.
Trump has referred to Bolsonaro’s trial as a “witch hunt” and called it grounds for a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, while the U.S. Treasury targeted Moraes with financial sanctions.
Rumble has been suspended in Brazil since February after a decision from Brazil’s Supreme Court, which said the social media platform did not comply with court orders. The firm is suing Moraes before a U.S. court, together with Trump Media.
In a Supreme Court decision based on the police report, Moraes gave Bolsonaro’s lawyers 48 hours to clarify his repeated failure to comply with the restraining orders and his flight risk.
Last year, The New York Times published security footage that showed Bolsonaro had spent two nights at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia. Moraes later closed an investigation into whether he sought asylum, citing lack of evidence.
Reporting by Ricardo Brito in Brasilia and Luciana Magalhaes in Sao Paulo; Additional reporting by Leila Miller in Buenos Aires; Writing by Andre Romani; Editing by Kylie Madry and Stephen Coates
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Share X
Link Purchase Licensing Rights
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina. Police say messages found on his phone show he once wanted to request political asylum. He is currently awaiting a Supreme Court ruling about an alleged coup attempt. Police formally accused him and one of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonero, of obstruction of justice.. The former Brazilian leader would face another trial if the attorney-general decides to charge him. The AP reviewed the police evidence, which included messaging app exchanges and voice messages, after police forwarded the documents to Brazil’s Supreme Court.. Both are staunch supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has recently repeated some of the former president’s claims in his decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian exports. He has repeatedly sought to get his passport back, including prior to Trump’s inauguration earlier this year. He also asks his father to “Avoid” staying in the United States so he doesn’t have much longer to influence the administration in their favor, police say.
toggle caption Eraldo Peres/AP
BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil’s federal police said messages found on the telephone of former President Jair Bolsonaro showed he once wanted to flee to Argentina and request political asylum, according to documents seen Wednesday by The Associated Press.
Bolsonaro is currently awaiting a Supreme Court ruling about an alleged coup attempt and learned Wednesday he might face another case as police formally accused him and one of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, of obstruction of justice in connection with his trial.
The 170-page report said Bolsonaro had drafted a request for political asylum from Argentine President Javier Milei’s government dated Feb. 10, 2024. He saved the document two days after authorities searched his home and office as part of the alleged coup plot investigation.
Sponsor Message
Close to that date, Bolsonaro admittedly spent two nights at the Hungarian Embassy in Brasília, fueling speculation he may have been attempting to avoid arrest.
The Argentina plot is part of the wider police accusation of obstruction of justice, in which Bolsonaro has allegedly ignored precautionary measures established for his house arrest and spread content to his allies “to directly hit Brazilian democratic institutions, notably the Supreme Court and even Brazil’s Congress,” according to the report.
The AP reviewed the police evidence, which included messaging app exchanges and voice messages, after police forwarded the documents to Brazil’s Supreme Court. Bolsonaro would face another trial if the attorney-general decides to charge him.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the case, gave Bolsonaro’s lawyers 48 hours to explain why the former president sought political asylum in Argentina and failed to comply with other precautionary measures of his house arrest, such as avoiding contact with people outside his family circle.
Asylum in Argentina
In a 33-page letter addressed to Milei, Bolsonaro claimed he was being politically persecuted in Brazil. Both are staunch supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has recently repeated some of the former president’s claims in his decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian exports.
Sponsor Message
“I, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, request political asylum from Your Excellency in the Republic of Argentina, under an urgent regime, as I find myself in a situation of political persecution in Brazil and fear for my life,” the former Brazilian leader wrote.
Bolsonaro had his passport seized by Brazil’s Supreme Court in on Feb. 8, 2024. He has repeatedly sought to get it back, including prior to Trump’s inauguration earlier this year. De Moraes rejected all requests as the former president is seen as a flight risk.
Manuel Adorni, spokesperson for Milei, said the Argentine government hasn’t received anything yet. Bolsonaro did not comment about the investigation.
The former Brazilian president attended Milei’s inauguration in December 2023, while the serving President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva did not attend. Lula and Milei have had a frosty relationship since the right-wing Argentine took office.
Silas Malafaia, a very popular evangelical pastor who is a staunch ally of Bolsonaro’s, had his passport and cell phone seized by investigators but was not formally accused of obstruction of justice.
Praising Trump
Brazil’s federal police gathered several messages between Bolsonaro and his son in which they show interest in praising Trump to affect legal proceedings back home.
“You won’t have time to reverse the situation if the guy here turns his back on you. Everything here is very touchy, every little thing affects you,” Eduardo Bolsonaro told his father in one of the exchanges.
“In today’s situation, you don’t even need to worry about jail; you won’t be arrested. But I’m afraid things will change here (in the United States). Even inside the White House, there are people telling (Trump): ‘OK, Brazil is gone. Let’s move on’,” Eduardo Bolsonaro said.
Earlier, Eduardo Bolsonaro said in a statement that he “never aimed at interfering in any ongoing proceedings in Brazil.” He added the conversations with his father that are part of the investigation are “absolutely normal” and its publication has a political bias.
Sponsor Message
Some exchanges also show frictions sauced with expletives between father and son. Eduardo, who moved to the U.S. earlier this year despite holding a seat in Brazil’s congress, calls Bolsonaro “ungrateful” for his efforts to influence the Trump administration in their favor.
Eduardo Bolsonaro also asks his father to “ACT RESPONSIBLY” so he doesn’t have to remain much longer in the U.S.
Avoiding prison
Eduardo Bolsonaro also said he had secured U.S. government support “with great difficulty,” claiming that he and an ally, Paulo Figueiredo, were the only ones with access to the White House. He also told his father that Trump’s pressure was the only chance Bolsonaro had to avoid prison.
“The most powerful man in the world is on your side. We did our part,” Eduardo texted on July 10.
Brazil’s federal police also investigated conversations between Bolsonaro and Martin de Luca, a lawyer for video platform Rumble and the Trump Media Group in a case challenging Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the investigations against the former president. De Luca sent the former president information about Rumble’s lawsuit against de Moraes in the U.S.
On July 14, De Luca wrote to Bolsonaro, saying he was receiving interview requests from U.S. media for the former president. That same day, Bolsonaro sent De Luca a voice message seeking his advice.
“I drafted a note, I think I sent it to you, with four short paragraphs. It is good, praising Trump, saying that freedom is much more important than economic issues,” Bolsonaro said. “I was really happy with Trump, very grateful to him. Please guide me with a short statement from your side, so I can post it on my channels and send it back to you.”
A verdict and sentence in the coup trial will come from a Supreme Court panel of five justices. They are scheduled to announce their rulings between Sept. 2 and 12. The new findings will not be part of that decision.
Sponsor Message
Prosecutors say Bolsonaro and several of his allies headed a criminal organization that plotted to overturn the election, including plans to kill Lula and de Moraes.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro Allegedly Sought Political Asylum in Argentina Amid Legal Troubles
Jair Bolsonaro is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling regarding his suspected coup attempt. He has now been implicated in a formal accusation of obstruction of justice as part of his ongoing legal troubles. His appeal for asylum comes amid a backdrop of contentious U.S.-Brazil relations, as he and former President Trump both share a common political framework. With trials imminent, including a verdict from the Supreme Court panel expected between September 2 and 12, the scrutiny surrounding Bolsonero’s actions continues to intensify amidst a fraught political climate. The investigation has also affected his circle, with Silas Malafaia, an evangelical pastor and ally, having his passport and cellphone confiscated.
According to a comprehensive 170-page report, Bolsonaro is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling regarding his suspected coup attempt. He has now been implicated, alongside his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, in a formal accusation of obstruction of justice as part of his ongoing legal troubles. The asylum request, reportedly drafted for submission to Argentina’s President Javier Milei on February 10, 2024, came shortly after police executed searches at Bolsonaro’s home and office as part of a broader investigation into a coup plot.
In the days leading up to this draft, Bolsonaro spent time at the Hungarian Embassy in Brasília, raising suspicions about his intentions to evade arrest. The report outlines how Bolsonaro allegedly breached conditions set for his house arrest, including restrictions on communication with individuals outside of his immediate family. Prosecutors contend that Bolsonaro has promoted narratives damaging to Brazilian democratic institutions, specifically targeting both the Supreme Court and Congress.
The police documentation includes a wealth of evidence, including texts and voice messages exchanged between Bolsonaro and his son, which hint at a strategy to leverage their connections with then-President Donald Trump to influence Brazilian legal matters. Eduardo Bolsonaro has asserted that their conversations were innocuous and that any publication of these exchanges carries a political bias. However, tensions have emerged within their communications, with Eduardo expressing frustration at his father’s perceived ingratitude and urging him to “ACT RESPONSIBLY” to avoid further complications.
In a separate communication to the Argentine President, Bolsonaro characterized his situation as one of political persecution in Brazil, explicitly citing fears for his safety. His appeal for asylum comes amid a backdrop of contentious U.S.-Brazil relations, as Bolsonaro and former President Trump both share a common political framework. Bolsonaro’s passport was seized by Brazil’s Supreme Court on February 8, 2024, following the allegations of coup involvement, restricting his ability to travel.
The investigation has not only put Bolsonaro under scrutiny but also affected his circle, with Silas Malafaia, an evangelical pastor and ally, having his passport and cellphone confiscated, though he has not been formally charged.
The situation is complex, with Bolsonaro facing potential trials not only for the coup allegations but now also for the newly leveled obstruction of justice charges. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, has called for a clarification from Bolsonaro’s legal team regarding the asylum request and the breach of house arrest conditions.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the implications for Bolsonaro and his allies could reshape the political landscape in Brazil. With trials imminent, including a verdict from a Supreme Court panel expected between September 2 and 12, the scrutiny surrounding Bolsonaro’s actions continues to intensify amidst a fraught political climate.