• Marco Rubio announces measures against Alexandre de Moraes
and his circle for what he calls a “political witch hunt.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
announced Friday night that the U.S. government has revoked the visas of
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as well as several of his
judicial allies and immediate family members. The measure comes in retaliation
for what Rubio described as a “political witch hunt” against former Brazilian
President Jair Bolsonaro.
“President Trump has made it clear that his administration
will hold accountable foreigners responsible for censoring free speech in the
United States,” said Rubio, who also serves as the president’s national
security adviser. He explained that the decision seeks to send a strong message
about defending the rights of expression and protecting political leaders
allied with the United States from legal actions they consider politically
motivated.
The revocation of visas for a senior foreign judicial
official marks a rare precedent in US foreign policy and is part of the Trump
administration’s approach to responding to international judicial decisions
that affect political allies in their pursuit of freedom or jeopardize freedom
of expression.
The announcement has generated reactions in both Brazil and
the United States, and is expected to have diplomatic repercussions. This comes
just weeks after Lula asked Trump for help on the tariff issue and as the
governments of both countries negotiate the impact of these sanctions on their
bilateral relations, to the marked disadvantage of Brazil.