Itamaraty condemns US threat to use “military power” against Brazil

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Tuesday night (9) in which it condemned the United States' threat " of using economic sanctions or threats of using force against our democracy" amid the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro and seven defendants for the coup plot.

In the note, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that the government rejects any interference by other countries in Brazilian sovereignty.

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"The first step in protecting freedom of expression is precisely to defend democracy and respect the will of the people expressed at the ballot box. This is the duty of the three branches of government, which will not be intimidated by any form of attack on our sovereignty. The Brazilian government condemns the attempt by anti-democratic forces to use foreign governments to coerce national institutions," the statement reads.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. government considers freedom of expression a top priority, citing the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

"I don't have any additional action [against Brazil] to present to you today. But I can tell you that this is a priority for the administration. And the president [Donald Trump] is not afraid to use the economic and military might of the United States of America to protect freedom of expression around the world," the spokeswoman said, as reported by Reuters.

In a speech in Manaus, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also cited the trial in the Supreme Federal Court in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is accused of attempted coup d'état.

Lula considered that the country is going through a delicate moment.

“He knows he committed the stupid things he did (…) These guys had the nerve to send people to the United States to speak badly of Brazil and to condemn Brazil,” criticized Lula.

Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffman criticized the US government's statement on the use of force.

In a post on social media, the minister stated that the “Bolsonaro family’s conspiracy against Brazil” had reached its “peak,” pointing to the articulation led by federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro for the US to sanction Brazil.

"Tariffs on our exports and illegal sanctions against government ministers, the Supreme Court, and their families are not enough. Now they're threatening to invade Brazil to free Jair Bolsonaro from prison. This is completely unacceptable," the minister said.

The First Chamber of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) resumed today the trial of Jair Bolsonaro and seven other defendants in connection with the coup plot. Justices Alexandre de Moraes, the reporting judge in the criminal case, and Flávio Dino voted for the convictions . Three votes remain.

The session was suspended and will resume tomorrow (10) for the vote of ministers Luiz Fux, Cármen Lúcia and Cristiano Zanin.