President of Argentina Javier Milei blamed the “regime” of Brazilian radical leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for not allowing conservative former President Jair Bolsonaro to travel to the United States for the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
“He [Bolsonaro] is my friend. I’m very sorry that the Lula regime won’t let him come,” Milei told Brazilian reporters on Saturday during his attendance at the Hispanic Inaugural Ball.
Bolsonaro, a staunch supporter of President Trump and the MAGA movement, has been banned from leaving his country since February 2024 after Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered local police to seize his passport as part of a broad probe into an alleged “coup” plot following his narrow defeat in the 2022 presidential election.
Shortly after the election of President Trump and Vice President JD Vance in November, Bolsonaro stated that, should he receive an invitation, he would seek permission from Brazil’s STF to have his passport temporarily returned so that he could attend.
STF Justice de Moraes – a self-styled “anti-fake news crusader” and rapporteur of several open cases against Bolsonaro who has ordered police raids against Bolsonaro and his family — denied Bolsonaro’s request and subsequent appeal last week. De Moraes claimed the email invitation he received from the Trump Vance Inaugural committee was not sufficient proof he was invited.
De Moraes also justified refusing the request by claiming that Bolsonaro represented a “flight risk” and that he showed “indications” that he may try to flee Brazil and claim political asylum.
Bolsonaro’s wife, former Brazilian First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro traveled to the United States to represent him, instead. His son Eduardo, a Brazilian lawmaker, was also invited. Jair Bolsonaro posted a photo of his wife and son in America on Monday and congratulated Trump on his inauguration.
While unable to travel, Bolsonaro accompanied his wife to Brasilia’s international airport on Saturday and told reporters that he was “upset” over de Moraes’ refusal to allow him to travel to the United States.
“It would obviously be great for me to go there. So much so that President Trump invited me. I’m upset. I’m still shaken,” Bolsonaro said.
The former Brazilian President also criticized de Moraes and denounced being the target of a “blatant persecution” by the STF justice who, Bolsonaro asserted, is doing “whatever he wants” with the intention of “eliminating” Brazil’s right wing.
“Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this event in the United States and without having been convicted a single time,” Bolsonaro said. “They will not defeat us with narratives. A person in the Supreme Court cannot be the owner of the truth, the owner of the world.”
January 20 marks the first presidential inauguration in U.S. history that features international heads of state among its guests. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who reportedly did not receive an invitation, will be represented by Ambassador Maria Luiza Viotti. According to Brazilian outlets, a delegation of 21 lawmakers, including Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo Bolsonaro, attended the U.S. Presidential inauguration ceremony.
In remarks given during a Monday morning meeting with his ministers, Lula said that he hopes the United States continues to be a “historic partner” of Brazil throughout Trump’s second administration.
“There are those who say that Trump’s election may cause problems for world democracy. As president of Brazil I hope that he will have a profitable administration (…) and that the Americans will continue to be Brazil’s historical partner,” Lula said.
On Sunday, Eduardo Bolsonaro published a video on his Instagram account of former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro holding a video call with Jair Bolsonaro while she participated in a dinner on the eve of January 20.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
