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U.S. Revokes Visas of Brazilian Supreme Court Justices, Deepening Bolsonaro Case Standoff

Washington’s punitive measures have deepened a diplomatic clash that tests Brazil’s judicial independence.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro, takes the stage backdropped by a screen featuring U.S. President Donald Trump, and Jair Bolsonaro, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
FILE - Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro sits before Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes during his Supreme Court trial, along with others, charged in an alleged coup plot to keep Bolsonaro in office after his 2022 election defeat, in Brasilia, Brazil, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
A drone view shows containers at Rio de Janeiro's port, Brazil, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares/File Photo

Overview

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered immediate visa revocations for Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his allied justices and their immediate family members, citing censorship of U.S. citizens.
  • Justice de Moraes’s court has tightened restrictions on former President Jair Bolsonaro, including an electronic ankle monitor, a ban on social media and foreign contacts, and threats of arrest if his interviews appear online.
  • The Supreme Court authorized an investigation into suspected insider trading in foreign exchange markets tied to the announcement of President Trump’s threatened 50% tariffs.
  • President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the U.S. measures as arbitrary interference that violates Brazil’s sovereignty and undermines the rule of law.
  • President Trump’s August 1 deadline for imposing 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports remains linked to Bolsonaro’s judicial treatment, heightening economic and political pressure.