Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, has fled to the U.S. to avoid “political persecution” as lawmakers seek to question the role he played in his father’s failed coup after losing the 2022 election. The Brazilian congressman, who represents Sao Paulo in Brazil’s Lower House, has been in the U.S. since late February after Brazil’s Supreme Court discussed seizing his passport while investigating claims he tried to interfere in a court case against his father. In a video posted to social media, Eduardo Bolsonaro accused Brazilian judges of trying to “use my position as a lawmaker as a tool of blackmail and coercion” in order to “arrest me and prevent me from representing the best interests of my country.” The claims have caused confusion among members of Eduardo Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party, who claim they are not aware of any cases that could lead to the congressman’s arrest. Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has close ties to Steve Bannon and various members of Trump’s inner circle, has made numerous trips to the U.S to draw attention to his father’s court case. He is set to go on trial for allegedly plotting a coup, attempting to poison Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and planning to shoot dead Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who will be overseeing the trial.
