Bolsonaro supporters rally to praise Trump for pressuring Brazil

(Patria) - Thousands of fervent supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took to the streets on Sunday, showing support for US President Donald Trump's pressure campaign against the trial of his right-wing ally, AFP reported.

Bolsonaro is currently on trial in the capital Brasilia for allegedly plotting a coup after failing to win re-election in 2022 against leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

"I am here to defend our people from censorship and judges who act arbitrarily," Valdeciria Galvao, a stenographer attending the rally in Brasilia, told AFP.

Most demonstrators were dressed in green and yellow, the national colors of Brazil and Bolsonaro's party, while some held American flags or signs reading "Thank you Trump." Rallies were organized in several cities, including Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Bolsonaro (70) could not participate because a court ordered him to stay home in the evenings and on weekends, and not to use social media while the trial lasts. He is accused of conspiring to remain in power despite losing the election to Lula and faces a heavy prison sentence in a trial expected to conclude in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department imposed financial sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presides over the trial and is reviled by Bolsonaro supporters for his fight against disinformation, which they say amounts to censorship. The same day, Trump, who called the trial a "witch hunt," imposed cumulative tariffs of fifty percent on several Brazilian imported products, using US economic power to punish the country. The tariffs are set to take effect on August 6.

"I agree one hundred percent" with the sanctions, said Maristela dos Santos on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, where a rally was held.

"Since no solution was found here, it had to come from somewhere."

Carrying an American flag on her shoulders, the 62-year-old teacher said she was not particularly concerned about the economic impact of the measures announced by Washington. "What worries me is that Brazil will become like Venezuela and we won't be able to find anything to eat in the supermarket," she claimed, alluding to severe shortages under the socialist regime of Nicolas Maduro in Caracas.

Paulo Roberto, a 46-year-old entrepreneur, echoed the sentiment, believing the punitive tariffs are a necessary evil.

"Unfortunately, you have to take a few steps back to strive for greater freedom and a better quality of life in the future," Roberto said.