Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro seeks court approval for visit from Trump official

Lawyers for Bolsonaro have petitioned for Trump adviser Darren Beattie to meet the ex-president in his prison in Brasilia.Published On 10 Mar 2026Lawyers for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have asked the country’s Supreme Court to approve visits from Darren Beattie, a far-right adviser for the administration of United States President Donald Trump.A court filing revealed on Tuesday showed that Bolsonaro’s lawyers were seeking to arrange a meeting with Beattie next week, either on March 16 or 17, during normal visiting hours.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Brazil does not want ‘a new Cold War’, says President Lulalist 2 of 3Brazil’s Supreme Court imposes steep sentences for Marielle Franco murderlist 3 of 3Brazil flooding death toll rises to 64 as search efforts continueend of list“Exceptional authorisation is requested so that the visit can take place on March 16, in the afternoon, or on March 17, in the morning or early afternoon,” the filing says.The petition also requests that an interpreter be present for the meeting, given that Bolsonaro does not speak fluent English. The request was first reported by the Reuters news agency.Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting to overturn his defeat in Brazil’s 2022 presidential election.The 70-year-old had been the incumbent in the race, and prosecutors accused him of plotting with military officials to overthrow the democratic rule of law, among other charges.He was convicted last September and has been in prison since November, after his appeal was denied.Tuesday’s request has raised eyebrows among Bolsonaro’s critics, who have accused the ex-president of using his ties to Trump to attempt to sway his legal proceedings.Trump has previously railed against Bolsonaro’s legal prosecution, calling it a political witch-hunt and comparing it with his own legal woes in the US.In August, Trump raised tariffs on certain Brazilian exports to 50 percent, citing Bolsonaro’s prosecution as a motive.