Sao Paulo: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva strongly criticized the United States on Tuesday over threats of sanctions against a top Brazilian Supreme Court justice, calling such interference an attack on national sovereignty.
Lula’s comments were in response to U.S. Senator Marco Rubio's recent statement suggesting that President Donald Trump could impose sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The judge is overseeing high-profile cases related to former President Jair Bolsonaro, including an investigation into an alleged coup attempt after Bolsonaro lost the 2022 election.
Speaking to reporters, Lula condemned what he described as foreign intrusion into Brazil’s judicial affairs. “It is unacceptable for any country's president to pass judgment on the decisions of another country's Supreme Court,” he said, emphasizing the need for Washington to respect Brazil’s institutional integrity.
Justice Moraes has become a central figure in Brazil’s ongoing political struggle, particularly with the far right. He has taken a tough stance against misinformation and anti-democratic actions, ordering social media platforms to remove content he deemed harmful and temporarily suspending Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil for failing to comply.
Moraes has also ordered the arrest of a right-wing lawmaker who publicly attacked the court, and he’s overseeing the legal case that resulted in Bolsonaro being banned from holding public office until 2030.
These actions have triggered backlash from conservative sectors in Brazil and abroad. Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, relocated to the U.S. earlier this year and has been actively campaigning against Moraes. He met with U.S. lawmakers, including Florida Representative Cory Mills, who asked Rubio whether sanctions against Moraes were under consideration. Rubio responded, “There is a great possibility that will happen,” citing the Global Magnitsky Act, which permits U.S. sanctions against foreign officials accused of corruption or human rights violations.
In response, Moraes opened an investigation into Eduardo Bolsonaro for alleged attempts to influence the judiciary. Lula described Eduardo’s lobbying efforts as “terrorist practices,” accusing him of abandoning his congressional duties to align himself with Trump’s political agenda.
