CNN
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Police in Brazil swooped on the home and political headquarters of Jair Bolsonaro early Friday, searching the properties, ordering the former president to wear an electronic ankle tag, barring him from speaking to foreign officials or approaching embassies and prohibiting him from using social media.
The restrictions, ordered by Brazil’s Supreme Court, were motivated by concerns that Bolsonaro would flee to the United States, CNN affiliate CNN Brasil reported.
Federal police also seized an unspecified amount of US dollars in cash, CNN Brazil said.
Bolsonaro, who is on trial over an alleged plot to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election to remain in power, was taken to a police station where the tag was fitted, police said.
He could face more than four decades behind bars if found guilty of masterminding the coup. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing.
The raid came as US President Donald Trump has tried to force his current Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to end the criminal trial against his predecessor by threatening crippling tariffs on the country.
Trump last week threatened Brazil with tariffs of 50% starting August 1, according to a letter posted to his social media platform, Truth Social.
In the letter, Trump linked the tariff threat to what he described as a “witch hunt” trial against Bolsonaro, a close ally.
Speaking exclusively to CNN Thursday, da Silva, who is widely known as Lula, said that Trump’s threats had broken away from “protocol” and argued that his predecessor’s fate cannot be part of trade negotiations.
“The judiciary branch of power in Brazil is independent. The president of the Republic has no influence whatsoever,” he said, adding that Bolsonaro “is not being judged personally. He is being judged by the acts he tried to organize a coup d’etat.”
Lula added that Trump would be standing trial in his country if the actions he took during the January 6 insurrection had been committed in Brazil.
On Friday, Trump posted a letter to Bolsonaro on Truth Social, in which he suggested the former Brazilian leader was the victim of an “unjust system” and said that he would be “watching closely.”
Bolsonaro posted Trump’s letter on his official X account and thanked Trump for his support with “eternal gratitude,” in a subsequent video.
CNN’s Marcelo Medeiros contributed reporting.
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