WASHINGTON – Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of the former and currently incarcerated Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, is conducting a lobbying campaign in the United States aimed at securing his father’s release, according to sources familiar with the effort. The former president is serving a 27-year sentence following a conviction for plotting a coup d’état, leading an armed criminal organization, and attempting to abolish Brazil’s democratic rule of law.
Eduardo Bolsonaro has been actively pursuing what sources describe as a “maximum pressure campaign” against the current Brazilian government. This includes lobbying the Trump administration for sanctions against Brazil and seeking Magnitsky sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes, the head of the Brazilian Supreme Court, according to a report by Fox News Digital.
Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction follows a narrow defeat in the 2022 presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, marking the closest election since Brazil’s return to democracy in 1985. Lula’s victory came after his own release from prison in 2019, a decision made by the Brazilian Supreme Court following a corruption conviction.
Despite his father’s imprisonment, the Bolsonaro political dynasty remains active. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, another son, announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election in December, receiving an endorsement from his father even as incarcerated. According to Eduardo Bolsonaro, recent polls indicate his brother is competitive, “tied and some of them he’s a little bit ahead.” He explained that his father recognized he would be unable to run in the October election due to his imprisonment.
Eduardo Bolsonaro believes his brother’s campaign will focus on the perceived failures of the Lula administration, particularly in the areas of the economy and security. “Everybody’s fed up with Lula supporting Hamas, increasing criminality, and not doing a great job in the economic area,” he stated to Fox News Digital.
While Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula are considered the frontrunners, other candidates have entered the race, including Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema, Parana Governor Ratinho Junior, and Goias Governor Ronaldo Caiado. Eduardo Bolsonaro dismissed concerns about a fragmented right-wing vote, asserting that all opposition candidates would unite against Lula in a potential second round. “It doesn’t matter who is going to the second round; against Lula, everybody will be together,” he said.
Adding to the political drama, a biopic about Jair Bolsonaro starring Jim Caviezel is in development, coinciding with the launch of Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign.
The Bolsonaro family’s efforts to overturn the legal proceedings against the former president have faced setbacks. Legislation passed by the Brazilian Congress to potentially reduce Bolsonaro’s sentence was vetoed by Lula in January. The veto has prompted discussion of a congressional override, while the Supreme Court is also considering the legislation’s constitutionality. Eduardo Bolsonaro characterized the Supreme Court’s actions as an “invasion by the judiciary,” alleging a bias against his family.
Eduardo Bolsonaro also claimed his father was not present in Brazil during the January 8, 2023 riots, stating he was in Orlando, Florida, at Disney World. He dismissed accusations linking his father to the events as a “fake thing.”
Eduardo Bolsonaro alleges he is facing criminal accusations in the United States for communicating with American authorities, which the Brazilian Supreme Court, specifically Justice Alexandre de Moraes, considers an attack on Brazil’s sovereignty. He hopes his brother’s election will lead to a pardon for both him and his father, as well as over 400 other conservative individuals currently incarcerated.
Despite historically strong support in the southern states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais, the Bolsonaros have struggled to gain traction in Brazil’s Northeast region, a traditional stronghold for Lula. Eduardo Bolsonaro expressed confidence that this will change, claiming voters in the Northeast are “ready for a change” and are becoming aware of what he described as Lula’s “assistencialismo,” or vote-buying through social programs.
Eduardo Bolsonaro also voiced support for potential U.S. Military action in Venezuela and Nicaragua, criticizing the regimes of Nicolás Maduro and Daniel Ortega as undemocratic. He stated Brazil would support the United States “not only in public… but also in international forums.”
