Protesters in Brazil Burn Effigies, Denounce Trump’s 50% Tariffs Over Bolsonaro Prosecution

Sao Paulo, August 1, 2025 – Protesters took to the streets of Brazil’s major cities, including Sao Paulo and Brasilia, on Friday to condemn US President Donald Trump’s imposition of 50% tariffs on Brazilian exports, one of the highest rates globally. The demonstrations, marked by the burning of effigies of Trump and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, were a direct response to the tariffs, which Trump linked to Brazil’s prosecution of Bolsonaro, a far-right ally, for allegedly plotting a coup against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The protests erupted on the first day of Trump’s latest tariff campaign, announced on July 9, which targets Brazilian goods in retaliation for what Trump called the “international disgrace” of Bolsonaro’s trial. Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2023, faces charges for allegedly attempting to undermine the 2022 election, which he narrowly lost to Lula. A 2024 federal police report accused Bolsonaro and his allies of planning to declare a “state of siege” to suspend civil liberties and force military intervention, or even plotting to assassinate Lula and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who led the investigation.

Trump’s tariffs, set to take effect on August 7, are seen by critics as an attempt to pressure Brazil into dropping the case against Bolsonaro. In a July 9 letter, Trump called the prosecution a “witch hunt” and accused Brazil’s Supreme Court of censoring right-wing voices and attacking free elections—echoing allegations leveled against Trump himself for his actions following the 2020 US election. Trump also sanctioned Justice de Moraes, freezing his US-based assets and revoking his visa. In Sao Paulo, protesters burned effigies of Trump and Bolsonaro locked in an embrace, while holding signs depicting Trump with devil horns and cartoons of de Moraes defiantly gesturing at the US president. A prominent banner read, “Sovereignty is not negotiable,” as Brazilian flags adorned the crowd. De Moraes, undeterred, issued a statement vowing to continue his work despite the sanctions, saying, “This rapporteur will ignore the sanctions applied to him and continue working as he has been doing.”

The tariffs threaten Brazil’s economy, particularly its agricultural and industrial exports, which face a $20 billion trade surplus with the US. Critics, including Brazilian officials, have accused Trump of meddling in Brazil’s judicial process, escalating tensions between the two nations.