The Second Round of Bilateral Political Consultations between Sri Lanka and Brazil took place on Friday (20) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo, during which both sides acknowledged the steady growth in economic cooperation and agreed to raise bilateral trade to USD 1 billion by 2030.

Both countries also stressed the importance of broadening engagement in response to evolving global economic dynamics.

According to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry, the meeting also discussed preparations for President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka’s forthcoming state visit to Brazil.

Noting the importance of enhancing parliamentary diplomacy and fostering closer ties between the legislatures, the two sides agreed to revive the Parliamentary Friendship Groups and exchange delegations. In this regard, a women’s parliamentary group from the Brazilian legislature is expected to visit Sri Lanka.

The meeting was co‑chaired by Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aruni Ranaraja and Ambassador Susan Kleebank, Secretary for Asia and the Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil. 

The consultations provided an opportunity to review progress since the First Round of Bilateral Political Consultations held in 2022 and identify further areas for collaboration.

Recognizing the value of expediting the conclusion of pending MoUs and agreements in key areas, the parties committed to finalizing outstanding legal instruments on defence, law enforcement, countering human smuggling and transnational organized crime, traditional and Ayurvedic medicine, and diplomatic training.

Both sides expressed satisfaction that the Dairy Livestock Project and the Sugarcane Project under the framework of technical cooperation have been finalized and are expected to be signed soon, with the support of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC).

The discussions also identified new avenues for cooperation in priority sectors, including agriculture, animal husbandry, agricultural research, ports and shipping, and sports. Both sides agreed to continue close collaboration in bilateral and multilateral forums.

Ambassador Susan Kleebank also called on Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Delegations to the consultations included Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Brazil Chaminda I. Colonne, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Brazil Monica Maria Meirelles Nasser, and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, and relevant line agencies. (Newswire)

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Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison, shortly after a majority of a Supreme Court panel voted to convict him on charges related to an attempted military coup.

On Thursday, four out of five of the justices had found Bolsonaro guilty of trying to illegally retain power after his 2022 electoral defeat to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Justice Carmen Lucia said there was ample evidence that Bolsonaro acted “with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions”.

A fourth judge, Justice Luiz Fux, broke with his colleagues on Wednesday and voted to acquit the 70-year-old former president of all charges.

Currently under house arrest, Bolsonaro faced up to 40 years in prison after being found guilty on five charges, including leading a “criminal organisation” to conspire to overthrow Lula.

Still, Fux’s vote could invite challenges to the ruling.

Bolsonaro has maintained he will run for president in 2026, despite Brazil’s top electoral court barring him from running in elections until 2030 for spreading unfounded claims about Brazil’s electronic voting system.

The Supreme Court also convicted seven co-conspirators, including former defence minister and Bolsonaro’s 2022 running mate Walter Braga Netto; former Defence Minister Paulo Sergio Nogueira; Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp Mauro Cid; his military adviser Augusto Heleno Ribeiro; former Justice Minister Anderson Torres; former naval chief Almir Garnier Santos; and ex-police officer Alexandre Ramagem.

Reporting from Brasilia, Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman said the sentencing, which was originally scheduled for Friday, was unexpected.

“It’s extremely significant and also a surprise,” she said. “The last of the five justices gave his guilty verdict just a short time ago, and then he and the remaining four had to calculate what the sentence would be.”

“We have to keep very much in mind that this may or may not happen immediately,” she added. “Bolsonaro’s lawyers and that of the other seven co-defendants still have some legal wiggle room here.”

“Apart from that, the supporters of Bolsonaro in Congress have already submitted an amnesty law, hopefully to get Bolsonaro off the hook,” she said.

United States President Donald Trump has called his ally’s trial a “witch-hunt”, hitting Brazil with 50 percent tariffs, imposing sanctions against the presiding judge, Alexandre de Moraes, and revoking visas for most members of Brazil’s high court. Trump said on Thursday that he was very unhappy about Bolsonaro’s conviction.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would “respond accordingly to this witch-hunt”.

“The political persecutions by sanctioned human rights abuser Alexandre de Moraes continue, as he and others on Brazil’s supreme court have unjustly ruled to imprison former President Jair Bolsonaro,” Rubio said.

Antiestablishment anger

Bolsonaro, a former army captain and paratrooper, became known for his defence of Brazil’s two-decade military dictatorship after being elected to the back benches of Congress in 1990 in the early years of Brazil’s democracy.

He never hid his admiration for the military regime, which killed hundreds of Brazilians from 1964 to 1985.

In one interview, he said Brazil would only change “on the day that we break out in civil war here and do the job that the military regime didn’t do: killing 30,000”. He was referring to leftists and political opponents.

Later, he surfed on mass protests that erupted across Brazil in 2014 during the sprawling “car wash” bribery scandal that implicated hundreds of politicians – including Lula, whose conviction was later annulled.

His antiestablishment anger helped elevate him to the presidency in 2018, and dozens of far-right lawmakers were elected on his coattails, creating roadblocks to Lula’s progressive agenda.

Facing a close re-election campaign against Lula in 2022 – an election Lula went on to win – Bolsonaro’s comments took on an increasingly messianic quality, raising concerns about his willingness to accept the results.

“I have three alternatives for my future: being arrested, killed or victory,” he said in remarks to a meeting of evangelical Christian leaders in 2021. “No man on Earth will threaten me.”

Bolsonaro maintains a solid political base within Brazil, and the verdict is expected to be met with widespread unrest.

About 40,000 of his supporters took to the streets of Brasilia over the weekend to voice their discontent, supporting his claim that he is being politically targeted. (Al Jazeera)

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India and Brazil are in agreement that all global problems should be resolved through dialogue, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) in Brasilia. Speaking after bilateral-level talks between Indian and Brazilian teams, Mr. Modi described President Lula Da Silva as the “chief architect” of the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership and expressed gratitude after he was conferred with the highest state honour of Brazil. The Prime Minister said India-Brazil cooperation was an “important pillar” for the world.

“India and Brazil have always worked in close coordination at the global level. As two large democratic countries, our cooperation is relevant not only for the Global South, but for the entire humanity,” said Mr. Modi highlighting the role of India and Brazil in safeguarding the interest of the Global South.

Earlier, the Prime Minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome in Brasilia where he arrived on Monday after attending the BRICS summit in Rio De Janeiro.

“Today, when the world is going through a period of tension and uncertainty, my friend [President Lula] explained in great detail. I am not repeating it. This India-Brazil partnership is an important pillar of stability and balance. We are unanimous that all disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” said Mr. Modi, highlighting terrorism as one such area of cooperation which should have “zero tolerance and zero double standards”.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Brazil after receiving the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross from President Lula and thanked him for playing “an important role” in strengthening India-Brazil ties. “In today’s discussions, we talked about strengthening cooperation in every field. We have set a target to take bilateral trade to $20 billion in the coming five years,” said Mr. Modi.

Six pacts signed

The two sides signed six agreements that included renewable energy, cooperation on combating terrorism, intellectual property, agriculture and protection of classified information.

“Our cooperation in the field of energy is constantly growing. Environment and clean energy are the main priorities of both the countries. The agreement that has been made today to increase cooperation in this area will give new direction and momentum to our green goals,” said Mr. Modi, who described cooperation in the field of defence as a sign of “mutual trust”.

“We will continue our efforts to connect our defence industries,” said the Prime Minister, announcing that the two sides were “working together on the adoption of UPI [Unified Payments Interface] in Brazil.” (The Hindu)

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Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has been charged in connection with an alleged coup plot to overturn the results of the 2022 election and keep his opponent from taking power, according to documents filed by prosecutors Tuesday evening.

Bolsonaro was among 34 people facing charges including those of armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, coup d’état, and damage qualified by violence.

Prosecutors allege that the plot began in 2021, with an effort to undermine public trust in electronic voting machines.

In 2022, Bolsonaro allegedly met with ambassadors and diplomatic representatives to discuss the accusations of voting fraud “in an attempt to prepare the international community for disrespecting the popular will in the presidential elections,” a statement from the Attorney General’s Office read.

Despite finding no evidence of election fraud, the defendants allegedly continued their campaign to discredit the electoral system, prosecutors said.

They also allege that Bolsonaro approved a plan to carry out the coup, which they say included the death of the elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his vice president.

Prosecutors said the last attempt to overturn the election happened on January 8, 2023, when defendants allegedly encouraged groups of Bolsonaro supporters to mobilize in Brasília, where they stormed and vandalized the three seats of government.

In November, Bolsonaro and 36 others were indicted as part of an investigation into the alleged coup plot.

The charges, brought before the Supreme Court in Brasília, could set the stage for a high-profile trial. If the charges are formally accepted by the Supreme Court, those charged will formally become defendants.

To prevent the case from influencing Brazil’s 2026 presidential elections, Supreme Court justices are pushing to conclude the trial before the end of 2025, but it is unlikely the court will announce its decision on whether to take on the case or schedule preliminary hearings before early March.

In the 844-page November indictment, federal police accused Bolsonaro of having “full knowledge” of the alleged coup plan to prevent Lula from taking office, adding that the former president “planned, acted in, and led directly and effectively” the plan.

Later on Tuesday after the charges had been filed, Bolsonaro denied any wrongdoing, telling journalists he had “no concerns about the accusations, zero.”

“Have you seen the coup decree, by any chance? You haven’t. Neither have I,” he told journalists during a visit to the Senate in Brasilia, according to AP.

According to CNN Brasil, the former president has been in Brasilia attempting to negotiate a potential amnesty deal.

If found guilty, Bolsonaro could potentially face up to 28 years in prison, according to CNN Brasil.

In 2023, Bolsonaro was banned from public office for eight years after a separate investigation into alleged abuse of power found him guilty of spreading misinformation about the integrity of the Brazilian election apparatus to foreign governments. (CNN)

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Sri Lanka and Brazil have held a discussion centred on the establishment of a Sister City Project between the Municipal Council of Colombo in Sri Lanka and the Municipal Council of Rio de Janeiro. 

Sri Lankan Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake has had a constructive discussion with the Acting Vice President of the Permanent Committee on International Relations of the Municipal Council of Rio de Janeiro, Councilor Eliseu Kessler and the Secretary of the Civil House of the Municipal Secretariat Lucas Padiha at the Pedro Ernesto Palace (Municipal Council) of Rio de Janeiro to foster relations at Municipal Council levels between Brazil and Sri Lanka. 

According to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Brasilia, this discussion took place during the Sri Lankan Ambassador’s official visit to Rio de Janeiro from 12-13 June 2024.

The Acting Chair of the Permanent Committee on International Relations has assured to submit a proposal for Sister City Project, expeditiously, and get approval from the Municipal Council of Rio de Janeiro in August 2024.

Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake and Councilor Eliseu Kessler had a joint press briefing at the end of the official meeting, during which Councilor Kessler stated that the visit of the Ambassador is historical as this is the first-ever visit by a Sri Lankan envoy to the Rio Municipal Council. He expressed confidence that with this visit, relations between Sri Lanka and Rio de Janeiro will take a new direction.  

Ambassador Dassanayake highlighted areas of cooperation which could be further elevated between Sri Lanka and Brazil vis-à-vis Trade, Tourism and Investments. He also invited Brazilian entrepreneurs and tourists to make use of the unique experiences and opportunities available to them in Sri Lanka.

The Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro was established in 1567 during the Portuguese era and the International Relations Department of Rio de Janeiro was established in 1979. At present, the population of the Municipal Council is 7 Million.

Counsellor (Commercial) of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brasilia Chathurika Perera and Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Rio de Janeiro Dr. Sohaku Bastos associated with the Ambassador at the meeting. (Newswire)

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The first ever single country exhibition on Sri Lanka in Brazil was held under the theme ‘Explore Sri Lanka 2024’ on 12 and 13 January 2024 at the Espaço Cultural Renato Russo (Cultural Center) in Brasilia to promote history, heritage, culture, trade, tourism, cuisine and products of Sri Lanka. 

According to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brazil, the exhibition was organized by the Embassy in collaboration with the Secretariat for International Relations of the Federal District Government of Brazil. 

The opening ceremony was held on Friday, 12 January 2024 with the participation of senior officials of the government of Brazil, diplomats, business leaders, tour operators and journalists.

In his remarks at the opening of the exhibition, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Brazil  Sumith Dassanayake highlighted the tourist attractions, the diversity of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka and the opportunities available for investments in diverse sectors. He invited travel traders, investors and the business community to enter into partnership arrangements with their Sri Lankan counterparts to receive mutual benefits. 

In regard to foreign direct investments, Ambassador Dassanayake emphasized that Sri Lanka welcomes investments from Brazil and other South American countries to newly established Industrial Zones, especially to the Southern Hambanthota Port area and  Colombo Port City. Ambassador further highlighted that the world-famous Forbes  Magazine’s recent rankings have positioned Sri Lanka as the 4th most sought-after solo travel destination globally for 2024.

Ambassador Dassanayake also elaborated on the commitment of the Government of  Sri Lanka to develop the island nation as a regional logistic centre; especially a maritime hub in the Indian Ocean taking advantage of the fact that Sri Lanka is strategically located in the centre of the Indian Ocean. 

Conveying felicitations of the government of Brazil, the Secretary for Asia Pacific and Russia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil Ambassador Eduardo Paes Saboia stressed the importance of holding the exhibition in Brazil as it would facilitate awareness of Sri Lanka in Brazil.

Addressing the inaugural session, Secretary of International Relations of the Federal District Government of Brazil Paco Britto stated that his institution is extremely happy to co-host the colourful exhibition with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brazil and assured of the continuous support and cooperation to promote Sri Lanka in Brazil. 

Over 80 paintings and photos, 20 banners, traditional masks, brass items, porcelain items, clay items, other decorative items such as wooden and fancy elephants, Kandyan dancers, Sri Lankan Batik wears and other Batik products, Ceylon tea, spices,  cinnamon and coconut products were displayed at the exhibition. 

Throughout the exhibition, visitors were provided with the opportunity to taste seven flavours of Ceylon Tea and Sri Lankan finger foods. (NewsWire)

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