Brazil and the United States, two of the Western Hemisphere’s largest democracies, are now caught in the throes of a diplomatic storm that has grown more intense with each passing week. On September 22, 2025, the US government escalated its campaign of sanctions and visa restrictions targeting prominent Brazilian judicial officials and their families, deepening a crisis that has already strained relations between Washington and Brasília.
The latest salvo from Washington came when the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Viviane Barci de Moraes, wife of Brazil’s influential Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. According to a Treasury Department notice cited by Reuters, the sanctions also targeted the Lex Instituto de Estudos Juridicos, a financial entity controlled by Barci de Moraes and other family members. US officials believe this entity could be used to circumvent previous sanctions, a claim that has not been publicly addressed by Barci de Moraes’s law firm, which declined to comment on the matter.
Shortly after the Treasury Department’s announcement, the White House confirmed it was revoking the visas of six Brazilian judicial officials, including Solicitor General Jorge Messias. The move was described as part of a broader effort to hold Brazilian officials accountable for actions Washington views as undermining democratic norms and the rule of law. The US government’s actions, however, have not gone unchallenged in Brazil.
Brazil’s Supreme Court responded swiftly, declaring the sanctions against Barci de Moraes “unfair.” The court’s statement reflected growing frustration within Brazil’s judiciary over what it perceives as undue foreign interference. Solicitor General Jorge Messias, one of the officials whose visa was revoked, voiced his own concerns. “The sanctions are incompatible with the longstanding, peaceful relationship between the two countries,” Messias said on September 22, 2025. Nevertheless, he added, “I take without fear the measure directed against me.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that this may not be the end of the sanctions campaign. “Other Brazilian officials could be sanctioned if necessary,” Bessent warned on Monday, signaling that the Biden administration—despite the ongoing US election cycle and intense domestic polarization—remains committed to pressuring Brazil’s judiciary.
The backdrop to this diplomatic standoff is the high-profile conviction of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Earlier this month, Bolsonaro was found guilty of attempting to orchestrate a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The verdict, delivered by a panel presided over by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, resulted in a 27-year prison sentence for the former president. Bolsonaro’s legal team has vowed to appeal, but leading jurists suggest the odds of overturning the conviction are slim.
The Bolsonaro saga has become a flashpoint not just in Brazil, but also in the United States. President Donald Trump and his political allies have consistently dismissed the criminal case against Bolsonaro as a “political witch-hunt.” Trump himself, facing criminal charges related to his own efforts to overturn the 2020 US presidential election, has often expressed solidarity with the former Brazilian leader, seeing in him a kindred spirit who has been persecuted by political enemies.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has emerged as a symbol of judicial independence in Brazil, has not been immune to US pressure. In July 2025, the Trump administration sanctioned de Moraes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, a US law that allows economic penalties against foreign officials accused of corruption or human rights abuses. That same month, the US revoked visas for de Moraes and several of his Supreme Court colleagues. As if to underscore the seriousness of Washington’s displeasure, the US also slapped a 50 percent tariff on most Brazilian goods—a move that has rippled through Brazil’s export-driven economy.
For his part, de Moraes has responded with characteristic defiance. “Respect comes from independence. A subservient, cowardly judiciary, one that makes deals just to calm the country down, is not independent,” he declared in August, following the imposition of US sanctions. His words have resonated with those in Brazil who fear that external pressure could erode the hard-won autonomy of the nation’s courts.
The crisis has also ensnared members of Bolsonaro’s family. On September 22, 2025, Brazilian federal lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro—Jair Bolsonaro’s son—was charged with coercion by the Prosecutor General. The charges stem from Eduardo’s alleged efforts to prioritize personal and family agendas over Brazil’s national interests, particularly in connection to his father’s legal troubles. Earlier in 2025, Eduardo Bolsonaro relocated to the United States, seeking support from former President Trump to halt legal actions against his father. In a move that has raised eyebrows on both sides of the equator, Eduardo publicly claimed credit for convincing the White House to impose the 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports.
Brazilian authorities have expressed concern that such actions risk further damaging the country’s international standing. The Prosecutor General’s office has accused Eduardo Bolsonaro of undermining Brazil’s welfare by placing familial interests above the nation’s. The case against him, while still in its early stages, has already added another layer of complexity to an already tangled web of legal and diplomatic disputes.
As the standoff continues, the impact on US-Brazil relations is becoming ever more apparent. The imposition of sanctions, visa revocations, and punitive tariffs has disrupted longstanding economic and political ties. Brazilian exports have taken a hit, and officials in Brasília are scrambling to assess the long-term consequences for trade, diplomacy, and the independence of the judiciary.
Meanwhile, public opinion in Brazil remains sharply divided. Supporters of Bolsonaro see the US actions as vindication of their claims that the judiciary is overreaching and politically motivated. Critics argue that the former president’s conviction and the subsequent sanctions are necessary steps to safeguard Brazilian democracy from authoritarian backsliding. President Lula da Silva, for his part, has hailed the Bolsonaro verdict and reportedly told Trump that “Brazil’s democracy is not negotiable.”
With both nations facing their own internal political challenges, the road ahead looks uncertain. The diplomatic rift shows no signs of healing, and the possibility of further sanctions or retaliatory measures remains on the table. For now, the fate of key figures like Alexandre de Moraes, Viviane Barci de Moraes, and Eduardo Bolsonaro hangs in the balance, as does the future of US-Brazil relations.
As the world watches, the drama unfolding between Washington and Brasília serves as a stark reminder that the struggle for democracy, accountability, and national sovereignty is rarely straightforward—and never without consequences.