The political relationship between Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump appears to have cooled significantly, signaled by Trump’s notably lukewarm public comment following the former Brazilian President’s arrest. Bolsonaro was detained after authorities suspected he was preparing to flee Brazil, an action triggered by the detected tampering with his electronic ankle monitor.
Bolsonaro, who is awaiting a 27-year prison sentence for a failed coup, denied any escape plans in his custody hearing. He instead claimed that a drug-induced “psychotic attack” caused him to hallucinate that the monitor was secretly recording him, leading him to attempt to disable it.
Political analysts are highly dubious of his hallucination defense, noting the major inconsistency with his earlier statement that he acted “out of curiosity.” The lack of strong support from a key international ally adds political weight to his legal troubles.