Understand the escalation of tension that caused the US to sanction Moraes with magnitsky law

USA sanction Moraes with magnitsky law The government of US President Donald Trump sanctioned the Supreme Court (STF) minister Alexandre de Moraes on Wednesday (30) with the Magnisky Law used to punish foreigners. The decision was published by the US Treasury Foreign Asset Control Office and dates back to a climb of tension between American and Brazilian governments, whose background is the criminal action on the coup plot in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is a defendant. Lula, Alexandre de Moraes, Jais Bolsonaro and Donald Trump are the main political actors of July news. Evaristo SA/AFP // Antonio Augusto/STF // Adriano Machado/Reuters // Patrick Semansky/AP According to the US government, all eventual goods of Alexandre de Moraes in the US are blocked, as well as any company that is linked to it. The minister also cannot carry out transactions with US citizens and companies – using American flag credit cards, for example. Supreme interlocutors reported that the news came to the court on social networks and the press. According to them, there was no formal communication. Also read: After sanction to Moraes, Lula government sees attempted Trump administration of ‘climbing’ tension and not negotiating tariffs in the face of the decision against Moraes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio published a message on social network x extolling the application of the magnitsky law against the minister. “May this be a warning to those who run over the fundamental rights of their compatriots-judicial togas cannot protect them.” Trump sends letter to Lula and announces 50% tariff over Brazilian Hit Reproduction Products Hunting Hunting the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent directly mentioned a supposed witch hunt for Bolsonaro by the minister. “Alexandre de Moraes assumed for himself the role of judge and jury in a hunting for illegal witches against citizens and companies from the United States and Brazil,” said Bessent. “Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary arrests that violate human rights and judicialized proceedings with political motivation-even against former President Jair Bolsonaro. Today’s action makes it clear that the Treasury will continue to blame those who threaten the interests of the US and the freedoms of our citizens,” the secretary continued in a statement. In the early evening of July 18, Marco Rubio announced the revocation of US visas of STF ministers and his relatives, citing nominally moraes. To justify the measure, Rubio quoted the process involving the former Brazilian president. That same day, in the morning, by determination of the Supreme Court, Bolsonaro was the target of an operation of the Federal Police. At the time, precautionary measures were applied against the former president such as: use of electronic anklet; prohibition of using social networks; prohibition to approach embassies; prohibition of talking to other defendants investigated by the Court; Night collection. On July 21, Moraes reinforced the ban on use of social networks and warned that Bolsonaro could be arrested for breach of measures, but after explanations of the former president’s defense, the minister dismissed the possibility of preventive arrest. The term witch hunt was also used by Trump to justify the application of 50% tariffs to Brazilian products – scheduled to take effect on Friday (1st). In a letter addressed to Lula on July 9, the US President claimed to be “an international shame” the former president’s trial at the Supreme Court. On July 7, Trump had already made a publication on his social network in defense of Bolsonaro and asked to leave the former president in peace. On the same day, Bolsonaro responded with another text thanking the support. Eduardo Bolsonaro in the House on 02/04/2025 Bruno Spada/Chamber of Deputies acting by Eduardo Bolsonaro, Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), son of the former president, is living in the United States, after graduating from federal deputy in March. Since then, he has given interviews and made posts on social networks in which he claims to be the target of political persecution in Brazil. According to the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), Eduardo has been articulating for the US government to impose sanctions on members of the Federal Supreme Court. In May, he was investigated for his performance in the United States against Brazilian authorities. Eduardo also met with Republican deputy Cory Mills, from Florida. After the meeting, Mills stated in a hearing in the capitol that Brazil faces an “alarming decline of human rights” and considered the application of a law to punish Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF. At the time, Mills questioned Marco Rubio about the sanctions against Moraes based on the magnitsky law. “This is being analyzed right now, and there is a great, great possibility that it happens,” said the secretary at the time. According to a report in The Washington Post published on July 17, Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro was working with members of the government of Donald Trump to impose sanctions against Moraes. Two authorities linked to the US government told the post that they saw a draft of the sanctions proposal circulating in recent weeks. They advanced that the plan would be based on magnitsky law. Under condition of anonymity, an employee told the post that the measure would impair US credibility in promoting democracy, as the country would be sanctioning a judge of a Supreme Court -by -Supreme Court just for disagreeing with the decisions he makes. Understand Magnitsky Law Magnitsky law allows the United States to impose sanctions on foreign citizens. The goal is to punish people accused of serious human rights violations or large -scale corruption. The legislation was created in honor of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in prison after denouncing a diversion scheme by members of the Russian government. The text was approved by the US Congress and sanctioned by then -President Barack Obama in 2012. Initially, the proposal aimed to punish oligarchs and Russian authorities involved in the lawyer’s death. In 2016, there was an understanding that the law could also be used in other cases of corruption, bonds with organized crime and broader human rights violations. In the same year, the legislation was expanded and was considered in global reach. Since then, dozens of people have been the target of sanctions based on magnitsky law. Project in the House currently, in the United States Chamber, a bill that provides for the prohibition of entry or deportation of any person considered a “foreign agent” who tries to censor US citizens in the national territory. The proposal was presented by Republican deputies Maria Elvira Salazar and Darrell Issa and does not directly mention Alexandre de Moraes. However, by announcing the project in September 2024, Issa stated that this was a response to STF decisions in Brazil. The text, entitled “Without Censors in our territory”, was approved by the Chamber Judicial Committee in February this year – a body equivalent to the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) of the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil. Days after the approval of the text to the Committee, Moraes reacted to the US offensive and stated that Brazil was no longer a colony in 1822. “For the sovereignty of Brazil, the independence of the judiciary and the citizenship of all Brazilians. Because we are no longer colony on September 7, 1822 and, with courage, we are building an independent and better, independent republic. With courage. As always remembers the eminent Minister Cármen Lúcia, quoting Guimarães Rosa: ‘What life wants from us is courage,’ “he said. The bill has not yet been voted in the House plenary and is not in force. There is no expected date for voting.

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