By Luciana Magalhaes and Ricardo Brito
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has received an invitation to attend the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 and is currently working to regain possession of his passport, which was confiscated last year in connection with an investigation into an alleged coup attempt in 2023.
Bolsonaro, who has been prohibited from seeking political office in Brazil until 2030 and is facing criminal charges related to the alleged coup conspiracy, maintains his innocence in the matter.
The former president’s passport was seized in February 2024 following a directive issued by a judge on the Brazilian Supreme Court.
Confirmation of the invitation was provided by Bolsonaro himself via his X social media account, and his adviser, Fabio Wajngarten, verified the news to Reuters, stating that Bolsonaro is eager to attend the event.
In a post on his X account, Bolsonaro expressed his appreciation for the invitation, referring to it as an “honorable” gesture. He also mentioned that his legal representative, Paulo Bueno, has already initiated the process of requesting the release of his passport for the upcoming trip from Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
As of now, there has been no response from Trump’s office regarding inquiries seeking comment on the matter.
(Reporting by Luciana Magalhaes; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
