Bolsonaro’s assets frozen in latest legal setback

The top court in the state of São Paulo this Tuesday froze BRL 87,400 (USD 18,000) in assets belonging to former President Jair Bolsonaro. The court ruling was issued as the far-right politician had accumulated seven fines for not wearing a face mask at public events during the pandemic, but hadn’t paid any of them. Financial authorities therefore included him on a list of active debtors.

The money seemingly accounts for only three of the fines, issued against Mr. Bolsonaro in 2021 by municipal health officials from three cities in São Paulo state. At the time, a state law mandated the use of face masks in public spaces; non-compliance fines could reach BRL 1.5 million each.

The ruling adds to Mr. Bolsonaro’s recent legal setbacks. It comes ahead of an electoral trial scheduled for June 22 that could render the former president ineligible for public office. Electoral justices will decide whether he abused his office as president to baselessly cast doubt over Brazil’s electoral system.

The former president is currently facing 16 cases in electoral courts. A conviction in any of them would end any plans he might have of returning to public office for the next eight years. Additionally, he is also under investigation for allegedly inciting the January 8 riots, when thousands of his supporters stormed government offices in Brasília to protest the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who had taken office a week prior.

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