Brazil Asks US Embassy to Explain Pro-Bolsonaro Statement

Brazil’s foreign ministry has asked the highest representative of the US government in Brasilia to explain an embassy statement echoing President Donald Trump’s claims that former leader Jair Bolsonaro is facing political persecution, according to two people familiar with the situation.

The embassy on Wednesday released a statement claiming that Bolsonaro, who faces a looming trial on charges that he attempted a coup following his 2022 election defeat, has been subject to political persecution that is “shameful and disrespectful of Brazil’s democratic traditions.”