Thu Jan 16 22:35:30 UTC 2025: ## Bolsonaro Barred from Trump’s Inauguration Amidst Ongoing Investigations

**Brasília, Brazil** – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will not be attending President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, after Brazil’s Supreme Court denied his request to have his passport returned. The passport was confiscated in February as part of multiple ongoing investigations into Bolsonaro’s conduct, including allegations of attempting to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election and inciting the January 8th attack on government buildings in Brasília.

The Supreme Court cited concerns that Bolsonaro, deemed a flight risk, might flee the country to avoid prosecution. Justice Alexandre de Moraes based the decision on the recommendation of Brazil’s prosecutor general, who argued that keeping Bolsonaro in Brazil was in the public interest. The court noted that Bolsonaro’s private citizen status did not necessitate his presence at the inauguration. Brazil will be represented by its ambassador to the US.

Bolsonaro’s office condemned the decision, claiming it was evidence of “lawfare,” a term used to describe the weaponization of the legal system for political purposes. They highlighted an invitation from Trump as signifying a strong bond between the two countries and lamented the impact of the decision on Brazil’s international standing.

Despite support from some US Republicans, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Republican majority, Bolsonaro remains embroiled in numerous legal battles. These include accusations of embezzlement, spreading false information about his COVID-19 vaccination status, and plotting the violent overthrow of the democratic state. He denies all wrongdoing, drawing parallels between his situation and Trump’s own legal battles. Bolsonaro is barred from running for office until 2030 for using government resources to undermine public confidence in the elections.

The inauguration, expected to draw prominent right-wing figures including Argentinian President Javier Milei and British MP Nigel Farage, will proceed without the “Trump of the Tropics.”

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