Federal prosecutors have pressed charges against Filipe Martins, a senior advisor on international relations to President Jair Bolsonaro, for making gestures associated with white supremacist groups. When standing behind Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco during a March 24 Senate sitting, Mr. Martins appeared to give the “OK” hand gesture — a symbol which has recently become associated with extremism. The moment was caught on camera.
The presidential aide argued in his defense that he was merely adjusting his suit, though prosecutors said it was “not plausible to assume that the gesture was made naively”, given Mr. Martins’ deep knowledge of...