In a shocking escalation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked US visas from eight of Brazil’s eleven Supreme Court judges. The action is done openly in favour of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial for plotting to invalidate his 2022 election loss. With Bolsonaro facing up to a 43-year prison term, the US has doubled down in support.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on all imports from Brazil beginning August 1. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has condemned the move, which he terms as blackmail and interference in the national sovereignty of Brazil.
Rubio Targets Judges Investigating Bolsonaro
Rubio announced on X, where he now has a presence, that he had cancelled the visas for the judge in Bolsonaro’s case—Alexandre de Moraes—and his “allies on the court,” along with their families. Although Rubio did not name the judges, Globo of Brazil named the following as being targeted:
.@POTUS made clear that his administration will hold accountable foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States. Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes’s political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro created a…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 18, 2025
- Luís Roberto Barroso
- José Antonio Dias Toffoli
- Cristiano Zanin
- Flávio Dino
- Cármen Lúcia Antunes Rocha
- Luiz Edson Fachin
- Gilmar Ferreira Mendes
- Alexandre de Moraes, the head of the investigation, was also named.
Notably, three judges evaded the penalty.
Luiz Fux and two others—André Mendonça and Kassio Nunes Marques—had both been nominated by Bolsonaro while he was president (2019–2023). That they were excluded has caused eyebrows to be raised.
Bolsonaro Faces Jail, Trump Cranks Up Pressure
On Friday, the federal police in Brazil raided Bolsonaro’s home. The police directed him to wear an ankle monitor to ensure he doesn’t flee. Bolsonaro has referred to the charges as a “political witch hunt.
Simultaneously, Trump is still standing up for him. On July 9, Trump imposed draconian tariffs on Brazilian products based on Bolsonaro’s trial. The tariffs—a 50% imposition on all imports—come into effect on August 1. Lula labelled the action as “unacceptable blackmail” and threatened to retaliate.
Lula Hits Back at US Interference
President Lula reacted sharply to the move by Rubio. “This is another arbitrary and wholly unfounded measure by the US government,” he stated.
He criticized what he referred to as interference in Brazil’s judicial process. “No intimidation or threat will undermine our democratic institutions,” he added.
The diplomatic spat runs deeper than already tense relations. Lula’s administration views it as an assault on national sovereignty. Trump’s increasing hand in US foreign policy is now appearing in Brazil’s internal politics.
Bolsonaro’s Allies Applaud US Action
Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, greeted Rubio’s statement. He thanked the US for standing up for “free speech” and declared the two countries “have the same values.
Trump supporter Alex Bruesewitz also welcomed the move. “Bolsonaro’s treatment is sick and wrong,” he tweeted. Others, however, call this outrageous interference in another country’s judicial system.
Democracy in Jeopardy?
As Bolsonaro is set to be found guilty over the next few weeks, Washington’s intervention indicates a widening gap between Brazil’s institutions and Washington. With Trump consolidating his hold over Republican foreign policy, the lines between politics and diplomacy are disappearing.
