President Donald Trump has designated Brazil as a national security threat to the United States. The dramatic move came alongside targeted sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Federal Tribunal Justice Alexandre de Moraes over alleged human rights violations and persecution of conservative political activity.
According to Breitbart, the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned de Moraes under the Global Magnitsky Act on Wednesday. The sanctions freeze all of de Moraes' U.S.-based assets and prohibit any transactions between the justice and U.S. persons involving his property or interests.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent condemned de Moraes for what he described as "an oppressive campaign of censorship" and "politicized prosecutions." Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately stated that de Moraes had engaged in "a targeted and politically motivated effort" to silence political critics through secret orders compelling social media platforms to ban accounts.
Brazilian Justice's Actions Against Conservatives Trigger U.S. Response
Justice Alexandre de Moraes has been a prominent member of Brazil's Supreme Federal Tribunal since 2017, leading efforts against what he terms "fake news circulators" and "anti-democratic digital militias." His actions have particularly targeted former conservative President Jair Bolsonaro, his family, other conservative politicians, and their supporters.
The controversial justice has repeatedly issued censorship orders against American social media platforms, imposing hefty daily non-compliance fines if they failed to remove content. Additional measures approved by de Moraes against those targeted included freezing bank assets, imposing travel bans, authorizing police raids, and approving arrests.
President Trump cited these judicial abuses in an executive order declaring Brazil's actions a "national emergency" for America. The order also imposes a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods entering the United States, scheduled to take effect on Friday, August 1.
Trump Administration Cites Threats to U.S. Companies and Citizens
The executive order states that Brazilian judicial actions "endanger the economy of the United States by tyrannically and arbitrarily coercing United States companies to censor political speech." Trump's administration has expressed particular concern about demands for U.S. companies to turn over sensitive user data or change content moderation policies under threat of fines or exclusion from the Brazilian market.
President Trump previously explained that the "witchhunt" against Bolsonaro and attacks on free elections in Brazil prompted the upcoming tariffs. The sanctions against de Moraes follow Secretary of State Rubio's recent imposition of U.S. visa restrictions on de Moraes and Brazilian officials allied with him.
Brazil's Supreme Federal Tribunal released a brief statement expressing solidarity with de Moraes, claiming all his decisions against Bolsonaro were "confirmed by the competent Collegiate Body." CNN Brasil reported that de Moraes is preparing a response to Trump that he will deliver when the court resumes work on Friday.
Brazilian Leadership Rejects U.S. Sanctions as Interference
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva strongly rejected what he called "unacceptable interference" in Brazil's judicial system. The leftist leader expressed solidarity with de Moraes and defended the justice's actions by stating that "in Brazil, the law applies to all citizens and all companies."
Lula's 2022 presidential campaign reportedly benefited from de Moraes' censorship actions when the justice forbade Bolsonaro's campaign from referring to Lula as a "thief" or "corrupt" in reference to his corruption convictions. Critics note that de Moraes did not similarly censor Lula's claims that Bolsonaro was a "cannibal" and a "pedophile."
The Brazilian president stressed that his government considers the reasons for the upcoming U.S. tariffs "unjustifiable" but remains willing to negotiate commercial aspects of the relationship. He indicated that Brazil has begun assessing the impact of the measures and developing actions to protect Brazilian workers, companies, and families.
Growing Tensions and Personal Reactions to Sanctions
According to Brazilian newspaper Estadão, de Moraes was attending a local soccer match with his wife when the U.S. announced its sanctions. The newspaper reported that during the match, the justice smiled, waved, and raised his middle finger to the crowd.
Brazilian commentator Galvão Bueno reportedly remarked during the soccer match broadcast that while de Moraes "is involved in all this talk, this dispute with the U.S. government," the justice was attending "as a fan" and had "every right to be there." The casual public appearance contrasts with the serious diplomatic situation unfolding.
The sanctions represent a significant escalation in tensions between the Trump administration and Brazil's government. With tariffs set to take effect imminently and Brazil preparing its response, diplomatic and economic relations between the two largest countries in the Americas face their most serious test in recent memory.
