A Brazilian Supreme Court justice placed former President Jair Bolsonaro under 24-hour surveillance, deeming the rightist ex-leader — who stands accused of orchestrating a coup — a flight risk.
The new curbs come ahead of the opening next week of Bolsonaro’s trial, a case that has roiled Brazilian politics and upended the country’s relations with Washington: US President Donald Trump has deemed the prosecution a “witch hunt” and hit Brazil with 50% tariffs, despite the Latin American country having a trade surplus with the US.
Domestically, the trial is expected to overlap with Brazil’s Independence Day on Sep. 7, a day which Bolsonaro’s supporters have used previously to take to the streets, potentially heightening tensions further, El País noted.