Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, Son of Ex-President, Declares Intent to Pursue Asylum in the U.S. – One America News Network
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
12:07 PM – Thursday, March 20, 2025
Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and a congressman, announced on Tuesday his intention to seek political asylum in the United States.
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The elder Bolsonaro, who was a “right-wing nationalist and former army captain” affiliated with the Liberal Party, served as Brazil’s 38th president from 2019 to 2022. Although Americans may be confused, Brazil’s Liberal Party is recognized as a far-right political entity. Originally established in 2006, it was known as “the Party of the Republic” until 2019.
On March 19th, 2019, President Trump welcomed Jair Bolsonaro to the White House.
In a discussion with CNN Brasil, Eduardo Bolsonaro revealed his plans, claiming he was a target of a persecution effort led by Alexandre de Moraes, a Minister of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF).
“I don’t have a flight back to Brazil. I have to apply for political asylum to the U.S. government,” Bolsonaro stated.
“Brazil is no longer a democracy. It’s unacceptable for a parliamentarian to have his passport revoked for what he says. Where is the parliamentary immunity?” he continued. “I refuse to be under the control of Alexandre de Moraes. I’m leaving to advocate for my constituents, those who elected me.”
A faction of lawmakers from the ruling Socialist Workers’ Party (PT) had publicly urged local authorities to investigate Bolsonaro, aiming to confiscate his passport for purportedly committing “crimes against sovereignty” and for his criticism of the STF.
During that period, Bolsonaro was accused by leftist politicians of collaborating with U.S. lawmakers to undermine Brazil’s judiciary.
Recent developments followed the House Judiciary Committee’s approval of the “No Censors on our Shores Act,” designed to establish legal measures to block or deport foreign officials who violate Americans’ First Amendment rights, which coincided with the accusations against Bolsonaro.
In a video shared on his personal X account shortly before his CNN Brasil interview, Eduardo Bolsonaro announced he would be taking an unpaid leave from Congress to focus on pursuing “appropriate sanctions against those who violate human rights,” specifically targeting de Moraes.
“In the United States, I will prioritize seeking justice and proper consequences for Alexandre de Moraes and his FBI team, who blindly obey his illegal directives like the Gestapo,” Bolsonaro asserted. “You, cowardly and vain, are unaccustomed to facing men of principle.”
“You thought you could intimidate me with political perks, but you couldn’t be more mistaken,” the congressman elaborated. “The finest parliamentarians are not mere caricatures clinging to bureaucratic titles. I reflect, resign, and resolve to remain steadfast in my mission.”
Bolsonaro further insisted that many in Brazil “understand” that de Moraes is “capable of anything, even when clearly illegal or unconstitutional,” in reference to the attempt to revoke his passport.
He added that if de Moraes aims to confiscate his passport “or even arrest me to prevent me from reporting his abuses in the United States, this is exactly where I will stay and intensify my efforts.” However, a top Brazilian court justice rejected the Workers’ Party’s request for passport seizure shortly after Bolsonaro released his video, citing opposition from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the entity tasked with filing charges or concluding investigations in Brazil.
“Brazilian Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet stated that the complaint from leftist lawmakers did not present sufficient grounds to warrant an investigation,” Breitbart reported.
In an interview with the Brazilian magazine Revista Oeste on Tuesday, the conservative former president Jair Bolsonaro expressed that he would prefer for his son to be free in the United States than to endure persecution back home.
“I’d rather he be free in the United States than be threatened here in Brazil. I support his efforts wholeheartedly. He will continue to excel there for us in Brazil,” Bolsonaro mentioned. “While I no longer control his actions — he’s 42 or 43 years old — he has been doing a commendable job and will keep doing so.”
“If the federal deputy who garnered the most votes in Brazilian history is forced to choose between exile or imprisonment, this country can no longer be considered a democracy,” Bolsonaro criticized on social media. “When the law is supplanted by persecution, what we witness is outright tyranny – and now the entire world is paying attention.”
Following his narrow defeat in the 2022 presidential elections, former President Bolsonaro was officially accused in February of allegedly plotting to instigate a “coup” and poisoning current far-left President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
De Moraes is poised to decide on March 25th whether Bolsonaro will face trial alongside other members of Brazil’s highest court.
Furthermore, Jair Bolsonaro stated that he has no plans to leave Brazil to evade a potential arrest warrant from the STF.
Brazilian lawmakers are permitted an unpaid leave of up to 120 days during a legislative session without affecting their service continuity. According to CNN Brasil, Missionary José Olímpio of the conservative Liberal Party (PL) will fill Eduardo Bolsonaro’s position in the Brazilian House of Representatives if he is absent for more than 120 days.
Portuguese to English translation: “This speech at CPAC USA, coupled with the honorable mention of @realDonaldTrump, likely triggered an alert from Moraes, PGR, and PT to collaboratively create the narrative of crime against the country and the entire passport issue. Nothing happens by chance,” he tweeted.
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