In a significant political development, the speaker of Brazil's lower house has moved to expel two prominent lawmakers allied with the imprisoned former president, Jair Bolsonaro. The decision deals a fresh blow to the far-right leader, who is currently serving a 27-year jail sentence for leading a coup attempt.
Seats Stripped for Absenteeism and Court Order
Speaker Hugo Motta announced the decision on Thursday, 18 December 2025. The two figures removed are Eduardo Bolsonaro, one of the former president's sons, and Alexandre Ramagem, the former head of Brazil's intelligence agency. The official notice was published in the lower house's journal.
The reasons for their removal differ sharply. Eduardo Bolsonaro, 41, has been living in Texas since February and has missed more than 80% of this year's lower house sessions, a clear violation of parliamentary rules. Speaker Motta stated plainly that it is impossible to serve as a lawmaker while not in the country.
"As everybody knows, he is living abroad by his own decision," Motta told journalists. "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."
Legal Peril and International Lobbying
Eduardo Bolsonaro's troubles extend beyond his seat. If he returns to Brazil, he will face trial on charges of obstructing justice in connection with his father's coup case. The allegations suggest he used violence or threats to interfere with legal proceedings, carrying a potential prison sentence of one to four years if convicted.
From abroad, he has claimed political persecution and actively lobbied figures in the Trump administration to help reverse his father's conviction and pressure President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He has also repeatedly stated that he influenced former US President Donald Trump's decision in July to impose a 50% tariff hike on Brazilian imports, a move Trump linked to the Bolsonaro case. Most of these tariffs were later revoked after talks between Trump and Lula.
Ramagem's Flight from Justice
The removal of Alexandre Ramagem followed a direct order from Brazil's Supreme Court. Ramagem recently fled to the United States to avoid serving a 16-year jail sentence related to the same coup attempt that imprisoned Bolsonaro in November. Interestingly, Speaker Motta, who has often sided with Bolsonaro's allies, had initially indicated he would put Ramagem's expulsion to a full-house vote earlier this month but ultimately enacted the court's order.
Neither Eduardo Bolsonaro nor Alexandre Ramagem has publicly commented on losing their congressional seats. This latest action underscores the continuing legal and political reckoning for the inner circle of the former president, whose influence remains a potent, if diminished, force in Brazilian politics.
