Trump's attack on Alexandre de Moraes is an affront to Brazil's sovereignty and raises global alarm.

The unprecedented sanction imposed by the United States against a Brazilian Supreme Court justice exposes the growing instrumentalization of American foreign policy for ideological purposes. By targeting Alexandre de Moraes, a central figure in the fight against Bolsonaro's coup attempt, the Trump administration directly undermines Brazil's sovereignty and shakes an essential pillar of international stability: respect for judicial independence. The entire world watches with apprehension as this precedent, if normalized, could be used against any country, including so-called "allies."

A dangerous and unacceptable precedent.

In the last week of July 2025, the United States government, led by Donald Trump in his second term, imposed sanctions on Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court. Accusing him of "abuse of power" and "violation of civil liberties," the US revoked his visa and froze assets under American jurisdiction. The justification used was alleged arbitrariness in the judicial treatment given to former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies. This is an unprecedented diplomatic action.

Never before in modern history has a supreme judge of a democratic country been sanctioned by a foreign government because of their judicial decisions. The message is clear: the US under Trump has begun to directly interfere in the actions of judges in sovereign countries, as long as they contradict the ideological interests of the White House.

It's not just Brazil that's at stake.

The retaliation against Moraes is not an isolated gesture. It is part of a broader Trump strategy, which includes punitive tariffs of 50% on coffee, beef, orange juice, and even Brazilian aircraft. At the same time, his allies in Congress, such as Marco Rubio, are orchestrating new pressure against other Supreme Court justices. The offensive aims to weaken the Court and offer external support to Jair Bolsonaro, who faces serious accusations of attempted coup d'état.

The problem is that this ideological crusade strikes at a vital nerve in democracy: the independence of the judiciary. And, by extension, it generates legal uncertainty. This is where the global financial system comes in—normally silent in the face of political tensions, but now visibly uncomfortable.

If the precedent holds, any judge who applies domestic laws against the interests of foreign powers could be the target of economic and personal retaliation. The diplomatic protection of magistrates, until now a taboo in international relations, is being publicly dismantled.

An alert that resonates beyond politics.

This is not just about defending Alexandre de Moraes. It's about defending the right of any country to have autonomous institutions. The complicit silence of sectors of the Brazilian elite, especially the financial market, could prove costly.

Because if today the punishment is against a judge who bothers Bolsonaro's interests, tomorrow it could be against a prosecutor, an environmental regulator, or a Central Bank president who imposes limits on international speculative capital. It's a dangerous game, and those who applaud today may be the target tomorrow.

It's important to remember: a country's stability is not guaranteed solely by its macroeconomic indicators, but also by its institutions. When a foreign power decides to sanction judges from another country for legal decisions, the pillar of institutional predictability crumbles.

Brazil cannot kneel.

The Lula government's response was firm, but it needs to be accompanied by an equally strong institutional reaction. The National Congress, even with its disagreements with the Supreme Federal Court, must understand that external aggression against one of the branches of government is an attack on Brazilian democracy itself.

It is important to remember that Alexandre de Moraes does not act on his own behalf, but as a representative of the Supreme Federal Court. His actions in confronting attempts to disrupt democracy were essential in containing the coup attempts of 2023 and 2024. Attacking him is attacking the Democratic Rule of Law.

Brazil needs to unite its voices in defense of its sovereignty. The same sovereignty that so many have used to defend economic interests must now be invoked to protect its institutions. It is not up to the United States government, and even less so to a government with a history of democratic disruption like Trump's, to judge the course of Brazilian justice.

It's not about Moraes. It's about Brazil.

In times of misinformation and manipulation, it's easy to personalize conflicts and reduce everything to individual figures. But what's at stake here is much bigger than Alexandre de Moraes. It's Brazil's right to conduct its democratic processes without external tutelage.

It is also a warning to the world. If the punishment of judges becomes an acceptable practice in international relations, we will say goodbye to a century of institutional construction based on sovereignty, legality, and the autonomy of peoples.

Sovereignty cannot be selective. It is either for everyone or it is not sovereignty. And Brazil, at this moment, needs to defend its own.