Key facts
- Senator Flavio Bolsonaro is barred from visiting his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, for 90 days.
- The ban was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
- The decision was made after Senator Bolsonaro shared a letter from his father on social media.
- The social media post allegedly violated the terms of Jair Bolsonaro's house arrest.
- Jair Bolsonaro is serving a prison sentence and is under house arrest on health grounds.
SAO PAULO, July 13 (Reuters) - Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has barred Senator Flavio Bolsonaro from visiting his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, for 90 days. The ruling, made public on Monday, stems from a social media post by the senator over the weekend that shared a letter from his father.
Moraes stated that the letter breached the terms of Jair Bolsonaro's house arrest, which includes a ban on social media use, directly or indirectly. The former president was sentenced last year to over 27 years in prison for plotting a coup against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after losing the 2022 election and is currently under house arrest for health reasons.
The visitation ban could represent a setback for Senator Bolsonaro's plans to run against President Lula in Brazil's upcoming presidential election, with the first round scheduled for October 4 and a potential runoff on October 25. The letter shared by the senator reportedly urged unity to support his presidential bid amid a rift with his stepmother, former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro.