Brazil will not be intimidated, says Messias, after US sanctions against Supreme Court justices.
The Attorney General of the Union expressed solidarity with the Supreme Court justices and the Attorney General of the Republic.
247 – Brazil has officially reacted to the sanctions imposed by the United States on Brazilian authorities. In an official statement released this Friday (18), the Attorney General of the Union, Jorge Messias, vehemently repudiated the decision of the government led by President Donald Trump, whose Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced the revocation of visas for ministers of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), their families and allies.
In his public statement, Messias expressed “support and solidarity with the ministers of the Supreme Federal Court and the Attorney General of the Republic,” classifying the American decision as an arbitrary act aimed at intimidating Brazilian institutions in the performance of their constitutional duties. “One cannot condone the distortion that attempts to attribute to these Brazilian authorities the practice of acts violating fundamental rights, nor censoring freedom of expression,” he stated.
Defending Brazilian democracy
The statement signed by the Attorney General of the Union highlighted the independence of the Brazilian Judiciary and criticized what he classified as political harassment. "The exercise of jurisdiction, within the context of a stable justice system aligned with the guarantees of citizenship, cannot, under any circumstances, suffer harassment of a political nature, much less through the involvement of a foreign state," declared Messias.
He further emphasized the resilience of Brazilian institutions in the face of recent external threats. "I assure you that no dishonest scheme or sordid conspiracy will intimidate the Judiciary of our country in its independent and dignified actions," he concluded.
Retaliation after operation against Bolsonaro
The Trump administration's announcement came hours after former President Jair Bolsonaro was targeted in a Federal Police operation that resulted in searches and seizures, as well as the imposition of precautionary measures such as the use of an electronic ankle monitor and a nightly curfew from 19 pm to 6 am.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the decision with direct attacks on Minister Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of political persecution. “Alexandre de Moraes’ witch hunt policy against Jair Bolsonaro has created a complex of persecution and censorship that violates the rights of Brazilians and also affects Americans. I have ordered the immediate revocation of the visas of Moraes, his allies in the court, and their family members,” Rubio wrote in an official statement.
Involvement of Eduardo Bolsonaro and international pressure
The diplomatic offensive comes at a time when Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), son of the former president, is being investigated in Brazil for orchestrating external pressure against the Supreme Federal Court and the Brazilian government, especially with the Trump administration. Eduardo Bolsonaro is accused of promoting international retaliation as a way to obstruct investigations related to the attempted coup d'état.
Eduardo has been in the United States since March, after requesting leave from his mandate alleging political persecution. His parliamentary leave ends on Sunday (20).
The Brazilian Supreme Court has not yet officially commented on the US government's decision to cancel the visas of its justices.
This episode raises diplomatic tensions between Brazil and the United States in an already sensitive context, where investigations by the Federal Police are deepening the accountability of actors linked to the coup in the country. The gesture of solidarity from the Attorney General's Office demonstrates the defense of the Democratic Rule of Law against external pressures of a political and ideological nature.
