Brazil's Bolsonaro denied passport for Trump inauguration

Bras lia: Brazil s top court on Thursday refused to return the passport of right wing former president Jair Bolsonaro so that he could attend the inau...

Brasília: Brazil's top court on Thursday refused to return the passport of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro so that he could attend the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.

The court said Bolsonaro still posed a flight risk, almost a year since his passport was seized as part of an investigation into his alleged orchestration of a coup attempt to remain in power after losing the 2022 election.

"The scenario that justified the imposition of the ban on leaving the country, with the surrender of passports, continues to indicate the possibility of an attempted evasion by the accused," judge Alexandre de Moraes wrote.

In an interview with the New York Times, published shortly before the court's decision, Bolsonaro -- dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics" during his time in office -- was effervescent about the possibility of attending the inauguration.

"I'm feeling like a kid again with Trump's invite. I'm fired up. I'm not even taking Viagra anymore," Bolsonaro joked, calling Trump "the most important guy in the world."