Brazil judge tightens Bolsonaro's house arrest, blocking Milei visit

A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has tightened the conditions of former President Jair Bolsonaro's house arrest, effectively blocking Argentine President Javier Milei's planned visit. Judge Alexandre de Moraes suspended all visitation rights for Bolsonaro for 30 days and imposed a strict ban on any "political-electoral" meetings until Brazil's presidential elections in October.

Bolsonaro is currently under humanitarian house arrest following a conviction related to the 2022 coup attempt, facing over 27 years in prison. His defense had requested authorization for Milei and his delegation to visit on July 25, framing it as an "official visit" by a foreign head of state. However, Moraes's broader ruling on detention conditions preempts this specific request, as the new regulations explicitly prohibit political gatherings.

The judge's decision appears to have extinguished a key element of Milei's trip to Brazil, which was intended to offer strong political support to Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president's son and a presidential candidate. The visit coincided with the Liberal Party's convention in São Paulo to formalize Flávio Bolsonaro's candidacy.

These new restrictions were not a direct response to the Argentine delegation's agenda but rather a penalty for Bolsonaro's violation of previous court orders. Last week, Bolsonaro used his son Flávio to disseminate a "Letter to Brazilians" on social media, openly endorsing the senator's presidential bid. This defied an explicit prohibition against using digital platforms, either directly or through third parties.

Moraes deemed Bolsonaro's defense, which claimed ignorance of the letter's publication, "contradictory" and "not plausible." The judge stated in his ruling that the text "clearly proves that he intended to communicate with his followers," emphasizing that the former head of state's political rights are suspended.

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The text clearly proves that he intended to communicate with his followers.