Key developments: Lower house Speaker Hugo Motta removed Eduardo Bolsonaro and former intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem from Brazil's Chamber of Deputies. Eduardo, who moved to Texas and missed more than 80% of sessions, was expelled for absenteeism; Ramagem was removed after a Supreme Court order tied to a 16-year sentence. Both cases are linked to the wider legal saga that has left Jair Bolsonaro serving a 27-year prison term.
Brazil Expels Eduardo Bolsonaro and Former Intelligence Chief From Congress in Latest Blow to Jair Bolsonaro
FILE - Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro stands at the entrance of his home where he is under house arrest in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Nova, File)
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's lower house speaker, Hugo Motta, announced Thursday that two lawmakers closely tied to former President Jair Bolsonaro have been removed from their seats, a fresh setback for the far-right leader who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for his role in an attempted coup.
What Happened
One of Bolsonaro's sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, and the former head of Brazil's intelligence agency, Alexandre Ramagem, were stripped of their mandates for separate reasons, according to the official journal of the Chamber of Deputies.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, 41, moved to Texas in February and has missed more than 80% of this year’s lower house sessions, a breach of the chamber's attendance rules. He has said he is politically persecuted in Brazil and has lobbied members of the U.S. administration on his father's behalf.
"As everybody knows, he is living abroad by his own decision," Motta said. "He has not attended our house's sessions and it is impossible to serve one's term as a lawmaker if that person is not in our territory."
Ramagem's Removal
Ramagem's ouster followed a ruling by Brazil's Supreme Court. He recently fled to the United States to avoid serving a 16-year jail sentence tied to the same case that led to Jair Bolsonaro's incarceration in November. Earlier this month, Motta — who has at times shown sympathy toward Bolsonaro allies — said he would submit Ramagem's removal to a full-house vote before the court order took effect.
Legal Consequences And Next Steps
If Eduardo Bolsonaro returns to Brazil, he faces trial on charges of obstructing justice related to his father's attempted coup case. Prosecutors say he used violence or serious threats to try to interfere with legal proceedings; a conviction could carry one to four years in prison and a fine. Neither Eduardo nor Ramagem issued comments immediately after losing their seats.
Political Context
Eduardo has publicly claimed credit for influencing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s July decision to impose a 50% tariff increase on certain Brazilian imports, saying the move was connected to his father's legal troubles. Trump described the case as a "witch hunt." Those higher tariffs were largely reversed after Trump and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva resumed communication.
This latest development removes two prominent Bolsonaro allies from Congress and deepens the political fallout from the legal cases that have dramatically reshaped Brazil's political landscape.
