Brazil court rejects Jair Bolsonaro’s bid to attend Trump’s inauguration

Brazil: So, it turns out Jair Bolsonaro won’t be making it to Donald Trump’s inauguration after all. A judge decided to keep his passport confiscated because they’re worried he might try to skip town.

His passport was taken by the feds last February while they were looking into some serious allegations against him. They think he might have been involved in a plot to undermine Brazil’s democracy.

Bolsonaro, who was president from 2019 to 2023, is facing some heavy accusations. He’s one of nearly 40 people charged with trying to stop his successor, Lula, from taking office.

His lawyers had hoped to get him a six-day trip to the U.S. for Trump’s swearing-in, but the judge wasn’t having it. Bolsonaro even joked about how excited he was to see Trump, saying he wasn’t “even taking Viagra anymore.”

But the judge, Alexandre de Moraes, said the seriousness of the charges against Bolsonaro meant he couldn’t have his passport back. The prosecutor general argued that keeping Bolsonaro from fleeing was more important than his desire to attend the inauguration.

There’s been a lot of buzz about a police report that claims Bolsonaro was a key player in the alleged coup attempt. It even suggested some pretty wild plans, like kidnapping or assassinating political leaders.

Despite all this, Bolsonaro insists he’s being unfairly targeted. He told the Wall Street Journal that they’re trying to make him look like a criminal. Analysts think he’s in deep trouble, with some saying the chances of him getting arrested are higher than ever.

Since he can’t go, it looks like his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, will represent him at the inauguration. Eduardo is seen by some as a potential future candidate for president. He’s been vocal on social media, claiming his dad is a victim of political persecution.