SAO PAULO – In a decisive move, a Brazilian judge has placed ten individuals under house arrest, all previously convicted for their roles in a scheme aimed at keeping former President Jair Bolsonaro in power following his 2022 election defeat. This judicial decision highlights the ongoing legal repercussions faced by Bolsonaro’s supporters.

The order, issued by Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, came shortly after a significant development in neighboring Paraguay. Authorities there apprehended a former police commander implicated in the plot, who was swiftly extradited back to Brazil. The arrest underscores the international dimensions of this legal saga.

Among those apprehended is Silvinei Vasques, the ex-director of Brazil’s Federal Highway Police. Vasques was captured in Paraguay after he clandestinely crossed the border and attempted to fly to El Salvador using falsified Paraguayan documents. Brazilian authorities reported that Vasques had removed his ankle monitor prior to his escape, traveling to Paraguay in a rented vehicle.

The ten individuals now under house arrest had previously been subject to various precautionary measures, such as wearing ankle monitors or adhering to a mandated nightly curfew. This group includes Filipe Martins, a former adviser to Bolsonaro, indicating the breadth of involvement by high-profile figures in the failed coup attempt.

Bolsonaro himself was sentenced in September to 27 years in prison for his role in orchestrating the attempted coup to cling to power despite losing the 2022 election. These legal actions continue to unveil the extent of efforts made to undermine Brazil’s democratic process.

The trials against Bolsonaro and several generals and police officers accused of participating in the plot have been closely followed in Brazil, where democracy was reinstated in 1985, after decades of military rule.

U.S. President Donald Trump initially described the proceedings against ideological ally Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt” and raised tariffs on Brazilian imports over Bolsonaro’s trial, which he described as an “international disgrace.”

The Trump administration had also placed financial sanctions against De Moraes, the lead judge in Bolsonaro’s trial. But the U.S. government appears to have softened its stance following Bolsonaro’s conviction. .

In November, Trump signed an executive order lowering tariffs on Brazilian beef and coffee, two of the country’s largest exports to the United States.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury lifted sanctions against De Moraes and his wife, as both nations continue to engage in trade negotiations.

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