Here, we respond to Bolsonaro’s main lies in his interview with Band News.
It is extremely important to debunk Bolsonaro’s lies. In the interview with Band News, held yesterday after he appeared before the Federal Police and had an electronic ankle monitor fitted, the former president became entangled in contradictions that reveal his desperation and complete disregard for the national interest and Brazilian democratic institutions.
LIE 1: “Eduardo and I have nothing to do with the 50% tariff hike. Nothing to do. Absolutely nothing.”
The denial is disproven by the facts themselves. Jair transferred 2 million reais to Eduardo, funds used for lobbying activities and possible corruption aimed at gaining access to the White House. Despite the country’s wealth, the American political system operates with accessible bribery schemes – 50,000 dollars are enough to buy favors from government officials or congressmen. Eduardo not only admitted his dealings but publicly celebrated the tariff hike, thanking Trump. The measure represents a direct request from Bolsonaro, executed through his son, in exchange for Brazil’s submission to American interests.
LIE 2: “He is fighting for our freedom, for our independence, and against the dictatorship imposed by Minister Alexandre Moraes.”
The hypocrisy is glaring. Bolsonaro has always been a defender of the Brazilian military dictatorship, even publicly praising Colonel Ustra, a notorious torturer. If we truly lived under a dictatorship, he would not be giving interviews freely. Eduardo is engaged in blackmail against Brazil in the United States, exploiting the relationship built with Trump during the presidential term and taking advantage of the American leader’s contempt for Brazilian democratic institutions. Trump shows appreciation only for those who flatter him, as is the case with the Bolsonaro family, using this proximity to pressure and blackmail the country.
LIE 3: “Even the coup investigation is a piece of fantasy. January 8th was not an attempted coup.”
The cynicism of the statement is evident. January 8th was part of a broader process of democratic destabilization. Bolsonaro contributed directly by refusing to recognize the election results and, through intermediaries, maintaining the instigation of the camped protesters. The invaders were not armed because they functioned as a mass to be manipulated – the objective was to generate chaos and instability to justify a possible military intervention. The destabilization strategy persists today, with Eduardo articulating sanctions against STF ministers and economic measures detrimental to the country.
LIE 4: “I was in the United States. I have nothing to do with it.”
This claim deliberately ignores the concept of intellectual authorship. Bolsonaro could have used his social media to repudiate the acts before, during, or after the events, but he opted for complicit silence. During hours of invasion, he remained absent from digital platforms. His interlocutors maintained direct contact with the protest leaders, demonstrating prior knowledge of the plans. Responsibility fundamentally stems from his systematic refusal to accept the electoral defeat and recognize Lula’s victory, constantly fueling the climate of contestation.
LIE 5: “Our average rate is 60%” (referring to the tariffs Brazil charges on American products)
This lie by Bolsonaro is particularly serious because it attempts to justify attacks and tariffs that would be devastating for the national economy. By propagating this misinformation, he seeks to legitimize a 50% tariff that would practically mean the end of economic relations between Brazil and the United States. This is an unbelievable lie that reveals Bolsonaro’s complete incompetence, absolute intellectual indigence, and utter moral dishonesty. On a matter of central importance to our economic sovereignty, he once again positions himself against Brazil, contributing falsehoods and misinformation to favor the aggressor attacking our country.
Official data categorically disprove this farce. According to the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), Brazil applied an actual average tariff of only 2.7% on American imports in 2023. FGV, on the other hand, estimates that the effective Brazilian tariff on American products was slightly higher, at 4.7% in 2022, still very far from the alleged 60%. In contrast, before Trump’s tariffs, the United States charged only 2.2% on Brazilian products. The “60%” claim constitutes gross misinformation that demonstrates either a complete lack of knowledge of economic reality or a deliberate attempt to deceive the population to justify Trump’s blackmail against Brazil.
LIE 6: “There are hundreds of illegal orders to persecute the right in Brazil. Only the right has been harmed.”
This claim lacks factual basis. The Superior Electoral Court acts with technical and impartial criteria, applying sanctions to candidates from all political spectrums. A historical analysis of TSE decisions reveals that left-wing politicians have also faced similar penalties. The absence of leftist hegemony in Brazil is demonstrated by Lula’s own case, who was imprisoned and became ineligible. If institutions were controlled by the left, as Bolsonaro claims, neither Lula nor other progressive politicians would have faced such consequences.
LIE 7: “You practically heard no talk of corruption in my government.”
Reality directly contradicts this version. The Bolsonaro government faced multiple corruption accusations, many still under investigation. The scheme of diverting social security funds, harming retirees through fraudulent entities, originated during his administration. Serious allegations emerged about attempts to divert funds intended for vaccine purchases. Furthermore, the privatization of BR Distribuidora and Petrobras refineries, followed by the receipt of gifts from the same Arab groups that acquired these assets at questionable prices, constitutes a situation that is at the very least suspicious.
LIE 8: “We created PIX, which is something no country in the world has.”
The attribution of authorship is false. PIX was developed by the Central Bank, an independent institution, through the technical work of its employees over years of research. Bolsonaro did not participate in the system’s creation. The “confusion” he minimizes refers to the Trump government’s threats to the Brazilian PIX, pressuring for the replacement of the national system with American credit cards – constituting a new form of economic blackmail.
Bolsonaro’s statements on Band News expose the desperation of someone who sees his anti-democratic maneuvers progressively unmasked by Brazilian justice.
