A Brazilian judge has escalated a dramatic standoff between the court and former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of planning a coup, by placing him under house arrest for violating a social media ban.
Bolsonaro is on trial at the Supreme Court for allegedly conspiring to stay in power after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated him in the 2022 elections.
President Donald Trump has imposed eye-watering tariffs on the largest economy in Latin America in an attempt to penalize Brazil, a longtime US ally, for what he perceives to be a politically driven “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro.
For the duration of the proceedings, the 70-year-old Bolsonaro is prohibited from using social media, and his public statements cannot be shared by third parties.
