Sanctions to stop judicial persecution
"President Trump made it clear that his administration will hold foreigners responsible for censoring freedom of expression in the United States accountable," Rubio stated.
The Trump administration revoked the visas of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and his entire family due to the political persecution of Jair Bolsonaro
"President Trump made it clear that his administration will hold foreigners responsible for censoring freedom of expression in the United States accountable," Rubio stated.
The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced this Friday the revocation of the U.S. visa for the Brazilian communist judge Alexandre de Moraes, his family, and his allies within the Supreme Federal Court (STF) of Brazil.
The measure comes after Moraes's recent decision to order former president Jair Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor during his house arrest regime as the judicial persecution ordered against him by Lula Da Silva's government intensifies.
Rubio, in an official statement through his social media, denounced what he described as a "political witch hunt" against Bolsonaro, and asserted that Moraes's actions constitute a violation of essential rights. According to Rubio, the judicial process in Brazil has crossed borders and represents an attack on freedom of expression.
The U.S. decision coincides with the worsening of the judicial persecution of Bolsonaro. The former president is being falsely accused of planning and supporting the riots of January 8, 2023, something that Lula's communist government describes as "an attempted coup d'état."
Judge Moraes, who is leading several investigations against Bolsonaro and his circle, recently ordered measures such as the seizure of the former president's passport and, now, the use of an electronic monitoring device. He is also investigating an alleged network of disinformation and hate speech promoted by allies of the former president.
The revocation of visas by the State Department is seen by analysts as an internal political move by Trump's government, which seeks to reaffirm its opposition to the judicial abuses of the Brazilian government.
