The United States has removed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw investigations into former President Jair Bolsonaro, following a major development in Brazil’s legislature that could drastically reduce Bolsonaro’s prison term.
Bolsonaro, currently serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election, could see his time behind bars shortened to less than three years if conservative-backed legislation is fully approved.
Judge de Moraes had been targeted by US sanctions since July, after former President Donald Trump criticized the investigations into Bolsonaro as a "witch hunt."
On Friday, the Trump administration lifted the sanctions, signaling support for the potential reduction of Bolsonaro’s sentence.
The bill that passed the lower house of Brazil’s Congress still requires approval from the Senate and must be signed into law by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro’s political rival.
Analysts predict that this could trigger a tense standoff between the executive and legislative branches.
A senior official from the Trump administration explained that keeping sanctions on Judge de Moraes would have been "inconsistent with US foreign policy interests."
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also commented on X, writing: "The US has consistently expressed concern over efforts to use the legal process to weaponize political differences in Brazil, and therefore welcomes the bill passed by the lower house of the Brazilian Congress as a first step towards addressing these abuses. Finally we are seeing the beginning of a path to improve our relations."
Brazil’s Minister of Institutional Relations, Gleisi Hoffmann, welcomed the removal of sanctions as a victory for the country and for President Lula. Judge de Moraes had played a central role in investigating allegations that Bolsonaro and his allies attempted a coup after the 2022 elections.
Earlier this year, a White House executive order accused the judge of having "abused his judicial authority to target political opponents," leading to sanctions and a temporary rise in tariffs on Brazil imposed by Trump.
Recent weeks have shown signs of easing tensions between the US and Brazil, with President Trump noting that he had a "great" phone call with Lula on trade issues earlier this month. The lifting of sanctions comes amid this broader context of improving diplomatic relations.
