Trump invited Bolsonaro to his swearing-in, but the Brazilian justice system prohibited him from traveling
The judge argued that the former president did not present sufficient evidence to corroborate the official invitation despite delivering a letter signed by the U.S. president-elect's team.

Jair Bolsonaro
This Thursday, Brazil's Supreme Court rejected ex-president Jair Bolsonaro's request to restore his passport temporarily. This would have allowed him to attend Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony as president of the United States on January 20.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who maintains a public feud with Bolsonaro, issued the ruling. De Moraes argued that the former president does not hold any official position that qualifies him to represent Brazil in the event. He also stressed that Bolsonaro did not present sufficient evidence to confirm a formal invitation to attend.
The judge had asked Bolsonaro's lawyers for evidence of the invitation. Although the former president's representatives handed over a letter signed by the co-chairs of Trump's inauguration committee, De Moraes considered the documents insufficient to prove the official invitation.
Request for permission to travel
Bolsonaro had requested authorization to travel to the United States between January 17 and 22 to attend Trump's inauguration ceremony and a Hispanic inaugural ball. On his social media, the former president, a staunch Trump supporter, expressed his enthusiasm and assured that his presence would serve to "represent the Brazilian people."
Passport seized for alleged flight risk
Bolsonaro faces multiple investigations, including accusations related to an alleged "coup d'état" attempt following the 2022 electoral defeat. In February 2024, federal police confiscated his passport, alleging that his departure from the country posed a flight risk. The former president has denied all accusations against him.
Following the court decision, Bolsonaro expressed his discontent on social media, accusing Brazil's judicial system of political persecution and comparing his situation to the legal cases Trump faced in the United States.
Further investigations and repercussions
This is not Bolsonaro's first judicial rejection of his request to recover his passport. In March 2024, the Supreme Court also dismissed a similar request following an invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In addition, in November 2023, federal police formally charged Bolsonaro and 36 other individuals, including senior military officers, with attempting a coup d'état.
Republican reactions
Following the court decision, Republicans on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed their support for Bolsonaro, describing him as "a friend of America and a patriot" and requesting that he be allowed to attend the inauguration ceremony.