SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s lower house speaker Hugo Motta decided on Thursday to remove two lawmakers close to former President Jair Bolsonaro from their seats in the latest blow to the far-right leader serving a 27-year jail sentence for leading a coup attempt.
One of Bolsonaro’s sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, and the former head of Brazil’s intelligence agency, Alexandre Ramagem, were stripped off their seats for different reasons. The decision was published in the journal of Brazil’s lower house.
Since his move to Texas in February, Eduardo Bolsonaro has missed more than 80% of this year’s lower house sessions, which violates its rules. The 41-year-old claims to be politically persecuted at home, and has lobbied members of the Trump administration to help his father reverse his conviction and put pressure on President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“As everybody knows, he is living abroad by his own decision,” Motta told journalists after his decision was announced. “He has not attended our house’s sessions and it is impossible to serve one’s term as a lawmaker if that person is not in our territory.”
The removal of Ramagem, who recently fled to the U.S. to avoid serving his 16-year jail sentence in the same case that put Bolsonaro behind bars in November, had been ordered by Brazil’s Supreme Court. Earlier this month, Motta, who has often sided with Bolsonaro allies, said he was going to put the decision to remove Ramagem from his seat to a full-house vote.
If Eduardo Bolsonaro returns to Brazil, he will face a trial on charges of obstructing justice in connection with his father’s attempted coup case. The former president’s son was accused of using violence or serious threats to interfere with a legal proceeding. If convicted, he could face one to four years in prison and a fine.
Neither Eduardo Bolsonaro nor Alexandre Ramagem made comments about losing their seats.
Eduardo Bolsonaro has repeatedly said he influenced U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision in July to order a 50% tariff hike on Brazilian imported goods. Trump has said the move was due to Bolsonaro’s case, which he called a “witch hunt.”
Later, when Trump and Lula started speaking, most of those higher tariffs on Brazil were revoked.
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