Brazil’s Supreme Court blocks Trump adviser from meeting Bolsonaro.

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Thursday reversed an earlier decision permitting an adviser to US President Donald Trump to visit former president Jair Bolsonaro in prison, following concerns raised by the Brazilian government about possible foreign interference.

Bolsonaro, who was sentenced last year to 27 years in prison for his role in a failed coup attempt after losing the 2022 election, had been a close ally of Trump, who previously described the prosecution of the far-right leader as a “witch hunt.”

Earlier this week, Bolsonaro’s lawyers requested permission for Darren Beattie, the US State Department’s new adviser on Brazil, to meet with the former president in prison on March 18.

However, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes withdrew the authorisation on Thursday after the Brazilian government warned against the meeting.

Brazil’s foreign ministry stated that Beattie’s visa was issued solely for him to attend a forum on critical minerals and hold official meetings with government officials.

According to court documents, the ministry said a visit by a foreign public official to a former president during an election year “could constitute undue interference” in Brazil’s internal affairs.

Brazil is scheduled to hold its next presidential election in October, and despite being in prison, Bolsonaro remains an influential figure in the country’s political landscape.

The former president has endorsed his eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, as the right-wing candidate expected to challenge the incumbent leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.