MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
In Brazil's Supreme Court, a historic trial is underway, captivating a national audience, as well as the White House. Today, justices began the final phase of the trial of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. He stands accused of plotting a coup to stay in power after losing his 2022 reelection bid. President Trump says he is watching the case closely. He has demanded it be dropped. For more, we're joined by NPR's Carrie Kahn in Rio de Janeiro. Hey, Carrie.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Hi, Mary Louise.
KELLY: OK, so this has been an all-day thing. The trial began early this morning. It wrapped up late in the afternoon there. Just tell me a little bit more about how it's being received, what the mood is like.
KAHN: Sure. This is an unprecedented event. It's being broadcast live on TV. There has never been a leader of Brazil successfully brought to trial for attempting to overthrow the government. But despite that historic significance, the courtroom was very unassuming, small, and the lead defendant wasn't even there. Bolsonaro's defense team says he stayed home due to health reasons. He's had many complications, including what he says are strong bouts of hiccups that he suffers ever since he was stabbed in the stomach during an assassination attempt. And he's under house arrest, fitted with an ankle monitor and a large police presence around his home. Bolsonaro has long denied he did anything wrong and has often expressed disdain for the court, which he says is biased against him. And his son, today, posted on X that the trial was, quote, "historical theater."
KELLY: But remind us just of what exactly the charges are that Bolsonaro is facing.
KAHN: Sure. He's on trial with seven other defendants, and they're accused of plotting a coup through what has been called a criminal conspiracy to subvert the Democratic order of Brazil. He's facing five charges in total.
In his opening remarks today, Brazil's top prosecutor, Paulo Gonet, outlined the evidence collected in the case. He says it's extensive. He said the coup-plotters were quite deliberate and put a lot of their plans in traceable electronic communications, chats, text messages, notes and even spreadsheets. It includes plan - it included plans to assassinate President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the lead Supreme Court justice in the case. Gonet was quite serious, and at times, he was almost poetic about what he said were, quote, "the appalling and terrifying panorama committed by the coup-plotters."
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PAULO GONET: (Speaking Portuguese).
KAHN: He says, "The acts cannot be treated as minor or innocuous, utopian daydreams or thoughtless adventures, but significant attacks on democracy," which he added, "must defend itself against authoritarianism."
KELLY: Now, meanwhile, Carrie, I mentioned that President Trump is following all this very closely. Bolsonaro is a political ally of President Trump's. He - Trump is siding with Bolsonaro. Has that put pressure on the proceedings?
KAHN: Yes, Trump has put a lot of pressure on the proceedings and on Brazil. He slapped 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, demanding that it drop the case, and sanctioned the lead justice overseeing the trial. But that justice, Alexandre de Moraes, addressed that pressure very defiantly at the outset of the trial.
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ALEXANDRE DE MORAES: (Speaking Portuguese).
KAHN: Without naming the U.S. or President Trump, he said, "national sovereignty will never be vilified, negotiated or extorted, and the Supreme Court will not bend in its defense of the nation democracy and independence."
KELLY: And I gather we will hear from defense attorneys through tomorrow. We'll see if we get rulings from the judges next week. NPR's Carrie Kahn reporting there from Rio de Janeiro. Thank you, Carrie.
KAHN: You're welcome.
(SOUNDBITE OF HERMANOS GUTIERREZ'S "AMAR Y VIVIR") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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