The U.S. Treasury recently approved measures against Brazil’s justice system following its use of court orders aimed at conservative officials and their supporters.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court faced repercussions for allegedly misusing his authority to enforce “arbitrary pretrial detention” and suppress “freedom of expression,” as stated in a press release.
Former President Trump was vocal in his criticism of de Moraes while supporting ex-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
De Moraes took measures against Bolsonaro, including revoking his passport and imposing additional penalties. Bolsonaro is accused of attempting a coup alongside others after losing the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“Alexandre de Moraes positioned himself as both judge and active participant in an illegal witch hunt against us and Brazilian citizens and businesses,” asserted Treasury spokesperson Scott Bescent in the press release.
Bescent further stated, “De Moraes is accountable for a repressive censorship campaign against former President Jair Bolsonaro, along with arbitrary detentions that violate human rights and politically motivated prosecutions. Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to holding individuals accountable for endangering our interests and civil liberties.”
This decision follows Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s revocation of De Moraes’ visa, alongside a lawsuit from Trump’s media company against the judge.
The lawsuit was initiated after de Moraes ordered the Rumble video platform to remove certain “political candid” users, while Trump Media also operates on similar platforms.
Additionally, de Moraes has previously banned tech billionaire Elon Musk’s platform, X, when it resisted removing what was deemed “hate speech.”
The Trump administration’s actions against de Moraes underscore a strong bond with the still-popular Bolsonaro. Although Trump sought to attend Bolsonaro’s inauguration in January, he was not permitted to travel, leading to his son attending in his stead.
Notably, Bolsonaro, often labeled the “tropical Trump,” has also been barred from running in Brazil’s 2026 presidential election.
