On Monday, September 22, 2025, a new chapter in the escalating tensions between the United States and Brazil unfolded as the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Viviane Barci de Moraes, the wife of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The move, made under the Global Magnitsky Act, marks a significant intensification in the Trump administration’s campaign against Brazilian officials involved in the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The sanctions come in the wake of Bolsonaro’s conviction and 27-year prison sentence for orchestrating a coup attempt following his 2022 electoral defeat.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s action, announced Monday, bars American citizens and companies from conducting transactions with Viviane de Moraes and freezes any assets the family may have in the United States. In addition to targeting Mrs. de Moraes, the sanctions also extend to a holding company managing the family’s assets. According to POLITICO, the Treasury’s statement was unequivocal: “Today’s action makes clear that Treasury will continue to target individuals who provide material support to de Moraes as he abuses human rights.”
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a central figure in the investigation and prosecution of Bolsonaro, has been the subject of repeated criticism from the Trump administration. U.S. officials have accused him of “weaponizing courts, authorizing arbitrary pretrial detentions, and suppressing freedom of expression,” as stated by the U.S. State Department. The administration’s campaign has included not just sanctions, but also threats of steep tariffs—reportedly up to 50% on many Brazilian exports—and the revocation of U.S. visas for several Brazilian judicial officials and their families.
Solicitor-General Jorge Messias, another senior Brazilian official, was among those whose U.S. visa was revoked. Messias took to social media to denounce what he described as “an unjust attack,” vowing that he would “continue to work with vigor and awareness.” Local Brazilian media reported that other Supreme Court judges associated with de Moraes may have also lost their visas, though these reports have not been individually confirmed. Cristina Yukiko Kusahara Gomes, de Moraes’ chief of staff, was specifically named by the U.S. State Department as one of those whose visa had been cancelled.
The Brazilian government responded forcefully to the sanctions, characterizing them as an egregious overreach. In a statement published by AP, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared, “This new attack on Brazilian sovereignty will not achieve its goal of benefiting those who led the failed coup attempt, some of whom have already been convicted by the Supreme Federal Court. Brazil will not bow to this latest aggression.” Justice de Moraes himself was equally defiant, stating, “Brazilian institutions are strong and sound and will not be affected by the attacks from the Trump administration.” He further argued that the measures against his wife “attack international law, Brazil’s sovereignty and the judiciary’s independence.”
The sanctions are part of a broader, ongoing pressure campaign by the Trump administration to undermine the legitimacy of Bolsonaro’s prosecution. According to AP and POLITICO, the administration has repeatedly accused de Moraes and his colleagues of conducting politicized prosecutions and mounting an “oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions, and politicized prosecutions—including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,” as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent put it. The administration’s actions have drawn sharp criticism from Brazilian officials, who see them as an attempt to interfere in Brazil’s internal affairs and to politicize the application of the Magnitsky Act, which was originally designed to target human rights abusers worldwide.
The tension has not been confined to the courtroom or diplomatic cables. On Sunday, September 21, 2025, tens of thousands of Brazilians flooded the streets of major cities to protest legislative efforts that would grant amnesty to Bolsonaro and shield him and his allies from legal consequences. These demonstrations were sparked, in part, by the perception that foreign pressure—including from the United States—could embolden those seeking to roll back the Supreme Court’s decisions. Brazil’s Health Minister Alexandre Padilha, who was slated to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York the following week, announced he would not travel after receiving what he called “an unacceptable visa” from the U.S. government. The visa imposed strict mobility restrictions, confining him to the U.N. headquarters and a few surrounding blocks, prompting the Lula administration to lodge a formal protest with the United Nations.
The roots of this diplomatic standoff trace back to Brazil’s tumultuous 2022 election, when Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro, a far-right populist and close ally of former President Donald Trump, refused to concede and was later convicted of organizing a coup to remain in office. Earlier this month, a panel of Supreme Court justices, including de Moraes, sentenced him to 27 years in prison. However, Bolsonaro has not yet been incarcerated, as he is currently appealing the conviction.
The Trump administration’s rhetoric has only grown sharper since the sentencing. In a July letter to President Lula da Silva, Trump threatened to impose steep tariffs on Brazil, citing what he called “insidious attacks on Free Elections.” The administration’s critics argue that these measures are less about defending democracy and more about shielding political allies. Brazil’s government, for its part, maintains that its judiciary is independent and that the Supreme Court’s conviction of Bolsonaro was the result of due process. Justice de Moraes and his supporters insist that the U.S. actions are a clear attempt to exert undue influence over Brazil’s sovereign legal proceedings.
As both sides dig in, Brazilian officials are preparing for further reprisals. According to POLITICO, the Trump administration is weighing additional steps to punish the judges who approved Bolsonaro’s conviction and to apply further economic pressure on Brazil as a whole. The revocation of visas and the use of the Magnitsky Act are seen by many in Brazil as part of a pattern of escalating unilateral actions that threaten to strain relations between the two countries for years to come.
For now, the streets of Brazil remain restless, the courts embattled, and the diplomatic channels between Washington and Brasília fraught with tension. Whether this standoff will cool or intensify in the months ahead remains to be seen, but the events of the past week have made one thing clear: the struggle over Brazil’s future is being waged not just at home, but on the world stage.