The Brazilian government has criticised the United States Department of the Treasury’s decision to impose sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over alleged suppression of freedom of expression and the ongoing trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva released a statement on Wednesday condemning what he called the “US government’s interference in the Brazilian justice system”.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused de Moraes of “serious human rights abuse” for targeting opposition politicians, including Bolsonaro, journalists, newspapers, and US and international companies, including social media platforms. “De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicised prosecutions – including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,” Bessent said. De Moraes was sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act, which allows the US to impose economic penalties against foreigners it considers to have a record of corruption or human rights abuses.
President Lula stood in solidarity with de Moraes, saying, “The Brazilian government stands in solidarity with [de Moraes], who is the target of sanctions motivated by the actions of Brazilian politicians who betray our country and our people in defence of their own interests.” Lula criticised Washington’s “unjustifiable” attempts to use “political arguments to validate the trade measures” against Brazil. “The political motivation behind the measures against Brazil undermines national sovereignty and the historical relationship between the two countries,” he said.
The sanctions come amid tense relations between the US and Brazil, with US President Donald Trump previously tying tariffs on Brazil to what he called a “witch-hunt” against his right-wing ally Bolsonaro. Trump announced a 50-percent tariff on Brazilian goods, which will start on August 6, but excluded key sectors in Brazil, such as aircraft, energy, and orange juice, from the heaviest levies. Brazilian Treasury Secretary Rogerio Ceron said, “We’re not facing the worst-case scenario.”
De Moraes is overseeing a case against Bolsonaro, who stands accused of masterminding a plot to orchestrate a coup and stay in power after his 2022 election defeat to Lula. Bolsonaro has denied attempting to overthrow the government, but has acknowledged taking part in meetings aimed at reversing the election’s outcome. The US imposed visa restrictions on de Moraes, his family, and other unnamed court officials, escalating tensions with the government of Latin America’s largest economy.