Brazil police find letter indicating Bolsonaro's plan to flee to Argentina

Brazilian federal police on Wednesday found a letter addressed to Argentine President Javier Milei, in which former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro requested political asylum, according to a Supreme Court document released Wednesday.

The document did not specify whether the letter was actually sent to Milei.

This revelation comes amid escalating legal troubles for Bolsonaro. According to the same document, police have formally accused Bolsonaro and his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, of attempting to interfere in an ongoing legal process. The former president is currently on trial for allegedly plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

A five-judge panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court is scheduled to begin Bolsonaro’s trial on September 2, with sessions running through September 12, under the oversight of Justice Cristiano Zanin.

BOLSONARO UNDER HOUSE ARREST, TRUMP CALLS IT 'WITCH HUNT'

Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest earlier this month after failing to comply with restraining orders. He now faces charges of conspiring with allies to violently subvert the 2022 election results. The Supreme Court’s August 4 order mandates that Bolsonaro remain confined to his residence in BrasIlia, allowing visits only from immediate family and legal counsel. Federal police were directed to seize all mobile phones at the premises.

Prosecutors allege that Bolsonaro sought international support for his efforts, including from US President Donald Trump. Trump recently imposed new tariffs on Brazilian exports, calling Bolsonaro's prosecution a “witch hunt.”

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro’s supporters have taken to the streets. Tens of thousands rallied in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, urging Brazil’s Congress to grant amnesty to Bolsonaro and others implicated in the January 8, 2023, attacks on government buildings in Brasilia.

- Ends