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BRASÍLIA: A Brazilian judge on Monday placed former president Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest for breaking a social media ban, escalating a dramatic standoff between the court and the far-right politician accused of plotting a coup.
Bolsonaro, an ally of US President Donald Trump, is on trial at the Supreme Court for allegedly plotting to cling onto power after losing 2022 elections to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Last month, he was ordered to wear an ankle bracelet and barred from using social media after being accused of trying to disrupt the trial with fiery speeches shared online by his sons and allies.
Under the ban, third parties are barred from sharing his public remarks.
On Sunday, allies of Bolsonaro, 70, defied the court order by broadcasting a live call between the former army captain and his son at a solidarity rally in Rio de Janeiro, one of several held across Brazil.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes reacted furiously, declaring Monday that the judiciary would not allow a defendant to “treat it like a fool” because of his “political and economic power.”
Criticizing Bolsonaro’s “repeated failure” to comply with the court’s restrictions, he ordered him placed under house arrest at his home in the capital Brasilia.
He also barred the country’s former leader (2019-2022) from receiving visitors, apart from his lawyers, and from using any mobile phones.
The new measures were expected to be met with fury in Washington.
Last week, Trump already imposed massive tariffs on Brazil and sanctioned Moraes for what he termed his “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro.

Trump’s pressure campaign, including 50-percent tariffs on a raft of Brazilian goods, including coffee, has endeared him to Bolsonaro’s conservative base.
At Sunday’s rallies, some demonstrators waved US flags or held signs reading “Thank you Trump.”
Bolsonaro himself did not attend the rallies, having been ordered by the Supreme Court to stay home at night and at weekends throughout the trial.
He faces a heavy prison sentence in the trial, which is expected to be concluded in the coming weeks.
The crusading Moraes has become a figure of hate on the Brazilian and American right for taking the fight to the far right.
He has repeatedly clashed with Bolsonaro as well as X owner Elon Musk, whom he accuses of failing to fight disinformation.

NEW YORK: The vast majority of US adults are at least somewhat stressed about the cost of groceries, a new poll finds, as prices continue to rise and concerns about the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs remain widespread.
About half of all Americans say the cost of groceries is a “major” source of stress in their life right now, while 33 percent say it’s a “minor” source of stress, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Only 14 percent say it’s not a source of stress, underscoring the pervasive anxiety most Americans continue to feel about the cost of everyday essentials.
Other financial stressors — like the cost of housing or the amount of money in their bank accounts — are also broadly felt, but they weigh more heavily on younger Americans, who are less likely than older adults to have significant savings or own property.
The survey also found that about 4 in 10 Americans under age 45 say they’ve used what are known as “buy now, pay later” services when spending on entertainment or restaurant meals or when paying for essentials like groceries or medical care.
Adam Bush, 19, based in Portland, New York, is one of those younger Americans who has used pay-later services for things like groceries or entertainment. Bush works as a welder, fabricating parts for trucks for Toyota, and makes under $50,000 per year.
“I just keep watching the prices go up, so I’m looking for the cheapest possible stuff,” he said. “Hot pockets and TV dinners.”
Everyone is stressed about groceries
Groceries are one of the most far-reaching financial stressors, affecting the young and old alike, the poll finds. While Americans over age 60 are less likely than younger people to feel major financial anxiety about housing, their savings, child care, or credit card debt, they are just as worried about the cost of groceries.
Esther Bland, 78, who lives in Buckley, Washington, said groceries are a “minor” source of stress — but only because her local food banks fill the gap. Bland relies on her Social Security and disability payments each month to cover her rent and other expenses — such as veterinary care for her dogs — in retirement, after decades working in an office processing product orders.
“I have no savings,” she said. “I’m not sure what’s going on politically when it comes to the food banks, but if I lost that, groceries would absolutely be a major source of stress.”
Bland’s monthly income mainly goes toward her electric, water and cable bills, she said, as well as care of her dogs and other household needs.
“Soap, paper towels, toilet paper. I buy gas at Costco, but we haven’t seen $3 a gallon here in a long time,” she said. “I stay home a lot. I only put about 50 miles on my car a week.”
According to the poll, 64 percent of the lowest-income Americans — those who have a household income of less than $30,000 a year — say the cost of groceries is a “major” stressor. That’s compared with about 4 in 10 Americans who have a household income of $100,000 or more.
But even within that higher-income group, only about 2 in 10 say grocery costs aren’t a worry at all.
Women and Hispanic adults are especially economically anxious
Housing is another substantial source of worry for US adults — along with their savings, their income and the cost of health care. About half of US adults say housing is a “major” source of stress, according to the poll, while about 4 in 10 say that about the amount of money they get paid, the amount of money they have saved and the cost of health care.
About 3 in 10 say credit card debt is a “major” source of stress, while about 2 in 10 say that about the cost of child care and student debt.
But some groups are feeling much more anxiety about their finances than others. Women, for instance, are more likely than men to report high levels of stress about their income, savings, the cost of groceries and the cost of health care. Hispanic adults are also particularly concerned about housing costs and both credit card and student debt. About two-thirds of Hispanic adults say the cost of housing is a “major” source of stress, compared with about half of Black adults and about 4 in 10 white adults.
Some people are making changes to their lifestyle as a result of high costs. Shandal LeSure, 43, who works as a receptionist for a rehabilitation hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and makes between $85,000 and $100,000 a year, said she’s started shopping for groceries at less expensive stores.
“It’s an adjustment,” she said. “Sometimes the quality isn’t as good.”
Many US adults have used ‘buy now, pay later’ services
As they stretch limited budgets, about 3 in 10 US adults overall say they’ve used “buy now, pay later” services such as Afterpay or Klarna to purchase groceries, entertainment, restaurant meals or meal delivery, or medical or dental care, according to the poll.
Bland, the Washington state retiree, said she’s paid for pet surgery with a pay-later plan.
Younger Americans are much likelier than older people to have used pay-later plans for entertainment, groceries or restaurant meals, but there’s no age gap on medical care. Black and Hispanic people are also especially likely to adopt the plans.
An increasing share of “buy now, pay later” customers are having trouble repaying their loans, according to recent disclosures from the lenders. The loans are marketed as a safer alternative to traditional credit cards, but there are risks, including a lack of federal oversight. Some consumer watchdogs also say the plans lead consumers to overextend themselves financially.
LeSure said she’s used pay-later services for things like new clothes, while she balances debt payments for a car loan, student loans and medical bills. She’s also turned to them to cover hotel costs after being evicted.
“That’s been able to help me stretch my dollar,” she said