⚖️ Facing the music

Good morning! President Lula met with Japan’s Emperor Naruhito today at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, making him the first state guest to be welcomed by the emperor since Donald Trump in 2019. Lula said that he counts on Japan’s “firm engagement” in COP30, to be held in Belém later this year.

Bolsonaro faces day of reckoning

Brazil's Supreme Court begins to decide today whether to accept charges against former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven of his acolytes for attempting a coup d'état in 2022. As we explained yesterday, the decision will be made by one of the court’s five-justice panels, instead of the full bench of 11 justices.

Security. Military police will secure the perimeter around the court, which was also swept for bombs. The judiciary is also launching a task force to avoid disruptions caused by cyberattacks.

👉 Why it matters. If the charges are accepted — an outcome even Bolsonaro’s most ardent supporters see as certain — the former president and his top aides will face trial in one of Brazil’s most consequential democracy-related cases. It could be a rare moment of accountability in a country with a history of coups and impunity.

The accused. 

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