US Press Secretary (pre-sentencing) (Sep 9th):
BBC:
How the coup trial of Jair Bolsonaro has divided Brazil
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4wx9zlpj5o
Quote:
On Sunday, Brazilians celebrated their country's independence from Portugal as they do every year on 7 September: with patriotism, military parades, flag-waving and churrascos – Brazilian barbecues.
But with a verdict imminent in the trial on coup charges of former President Jair Bolsonaro, this year the day was marked by rival rallies.
Thousands took to the streets chanting slogans about freedom: some in defence of democracy, others in defence of the ex-president who stands accused of trying to overthrow it.
On Tuesday, five Supreme Court justices will start to deliver their verdicts one by one on whether Jair Bolsonaro masterminded a coup to cling to power after losing the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The allegations include proposing a coup to military commanders, knowing of a plot to assassinate President-elect Lula da Silva and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and inciting supporters to attack government buildings on 8 January 2023 after casting doubt on the electoral system.
Bolsonaro denies the charges, calling them politically motivated, a view shared by his supporters – and US President Donald Trump.
Trump has labelled the trial "political persecution" and imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, as well as sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Moraes, who is leading the trial.
Jair Bolsonaro's son Eduardo, who successfully lobbied for the imposition of the tariffs in the US, has defended the move, telling the BBC last month that he believes "freedom comes first, before the economy".
But many Brazilians see it as deeply unpatriotic to support inflicting economic pain on Brazil for the Bolsonaro family's own political fortunes.
"Brazil is totally divided," acknowledged Bianca, who attended a large pro-Bolsonaro rally in São Paulo on Sunday.
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MSNBC:
Karoline Leavitt floats threats of ‘military might’ over Bolsonaro coup trial
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...al/ar-AA1MijZP
Quote:
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, once known as the “Trump of the tropics,” appears to be on the verge of a conviction for his role in a failed coup attempt launched after he lost his last election. And on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to threaten Brazil with “military might” if Bolsonaro should face repercussions.
Leavitt’s eyebrow-raising remarks came Tuesday at a White House press briefing, after she was asked a meandering question related to two Brazilian judges who voted this week to convict Bolsonaro. (The final verdict is expected Thursday, after the other members of Brazil’s five-person Supreme Court have weighed in.) Conservative content-creator Michael Shellenberger — who was tapped in 2020 by Elon Musk to push the since-debunked “Twitter Files” conspiracy that alleged censorship by the U.S. government — suggested Bolsonaro’s likely conviction is related to “censorship” and asked Leavitt if the administration would respond if that prevented him from running for office in the future.
Leavitt’s response tried to portray the administration as a bastion of free speech and touted its tariffs against Brazil as a response to the case against Bolsonaro.
“I don’t have any additional actions to preview for today, but I can tell you this is a priority for the administration and the president is unafraid to use the economic might, the military might, of the United States to protect free speech around the world,” she said.
Trump is actually waging an open assault on free speech in the United States (famously, part of “the world”). So Leavitt’s spin here is detached from reality. But her reference to “military might” in the context of defending an ousted authoritarian ruler is noteworthy. Not only does such a threat run counter to the president’s campaign vow to avoid launching new wars, but it also arguably puts Brazil on notice that the U.S. may consider using force to prevent the country from holding Bolsonaro accountable.
It’s unclear whether Leavitt’s remarks here are mere bluster from a press secretary who’s made that her calling card. I’ve reached out to the Defense Department for clarity on its position on Brazil.
Nonetheless, Leavitt’s remarks are undeniably ominous. The administration’s missile strike on a civilian boat off the coast of Venezuela arguably demonstrates its willingness to use military force with South American nations that run afoul of its agenda or misalign with its politics.
And in the case of Brazil, many Americans may have concerns about the prospect of the U.S. military being used just to protect one of the president’s authoritarian allies.
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