December 12, 2025, 9:55 p.m12/12/2025, 9:56 p.m
The US government has lifted its sanctions against Brazilian federal judge Alexandre de Moraes and his wife Viviane Barci de Moraes. Her law firm, where the family’s real estate is managed, was also removed from the sanctions list, it said in a statement.
It was initially unclear why the measures were canceled. Until now, assets of people in the United States were frozen because of the sanctions.
Alexandre de Moraes, Vice President of the Brazilian Supreme Court.Image: keystone
De Moraes had led a criminal case against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro was then sentenced to a long prison sentence.
Trump helped Bolsonaro
US President Donald Trump – an important ally of Bolsonaro – was annoyed by this: In response, in recent months he imposed tariffs of 50 percent on numerous products from the South American country and imposed sanctions on de Moraes and people around him.
“Alexandre de Moraes is responsible for a repressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary arrests and politicized prosecutions – including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the time.
Bolsonaro’s son, MP Eduardo Bolsonaro, regretted the decision to lift the sanctions, as the G1 news portal reported.
(sda/dpa)