Brazilian lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of conservative former President Jair Bolsonaro, accused Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over the weekend of obstructing his father’s request to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration with a “very bureaucratic process.”
Former President Bolsonaro remains banned from leaving Brazil since 2024 after de Moraes ordered police authorities to seize his passport amid accusations of plotting a “coup” following his narrow loss in the 2022 election. Bolsonaro was formally indicted in November alongside 36 other individuals on charges plotting to poison radical leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and stage a coup. The trial for the case has yet to be scheduled at press time.
Bolsonaro, a staunch supporter of President-elect Trump, said in November that he would request permission to travel to the United States and attend Trump’s inauguration on January 20 should he receive an invitation.
Several outlets reported last week that former President Bolsonaro received an invitation. Bolsonaro, in a social media post on Wednesday, said that he was “very honored” to receive the invitation to Trump’s inauguration and that his lawyer had already forwarded a request to de Moraes to retrieve his passport back so he could “attend this honorable and important historical event.”
“Let’s go. Let’s go, shall we, President? I’m very happy with this invitation. I’ll be representing right-wing conservatives and the good of the Brazilian people in the United States, God willing, thanks,” Bolsonaro said in a video he posted on that day.
Brazilian outlets reported over the weekend that de Moraes responded to Bolsonaro’s request on Saturday by demanding the former president present additional evidence, including an “official document,” to prove he received an invitation to President-elect Trump’s inauguration ceremony. De Moraes reportedly ruled that, in accordance to Brazilian law, said documentation, if it is in a foreign language, must be translated by a public translator or by a “suitable person appointed by the authority.”
The Brazilian Supreme Court Justice also reportedly questioned the origin of the invitation, allegedly received by Eduardo Bolsonaro via email. The Brazilian outlet Poder 360 reported on Saturday that it had obtained a copy of the email, which allegedly invites the former president and a guest to participate in President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance’s swearing-in ceremony and the Starling Inaugural Ball.
De Moraes’ ruling reportedly reads:
The request was not properly accompanied by the necessary documents, since the message was sent to Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro’s email from an unidentified address: ‘info@t47inaugural.com,’ and without any time or schedule for the event to be held.
T47inaugural.com is the official website of the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee.
Eduardo Bolsonaro criticized de Moraes’ response and claimed that the justice was demanding “a very bureaucratic process in order to prevent his father from being released in time for the inauguration.” The Brazilian lawmaker asserted that President-elect Trump’s inauguration team must be “very furious” with de Moraes for having publicly disclosed the email address that sent the invitation.
“It wasn’t an advisor who got the invitation for Jair Bolsonaro, it was Trump who analyzed it, was advised, held a meeting and decided: ‘Call, invite Jair Messias Bolsonaro.’” he said.
Eduardo Bolsonaro also claimed that he received the email invitation on behalf of his father due to his role as intermediary with President-elect Trump’s transition office. On Sunday, Eduardo Bolsonaro published a video on Twitter where he explained that the former president’s team is “scrambling” to “fill all necessary bureaucracies” to allow his father to attend the January 20 proceedings.
The Brazilian lawmaker pointed out that Jair Bolsonaro returned from the United States in 2023 and returned from Argentine President Javier Milei’s inauguration in December 2023 and should not be considered a flight risk.
Brazilian entrepreneur Fabio Wajngarten, who serves as one of former President Bolsonaro’s advisors and lawyers, stated on social media on Saturday that Bolsonaro’s defense team will “provide and comply” with de Moraes’ demands by “attaching all relevant documentation to the case.” Wajngarten asserted in his post that Eduardo Bolsonaro will be present at a dinner that will follow the swearing-in ceremony.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
