Brazil‘s Justice Minister, Ricardo Lewandowski, has condemned recent sanctions imposed by the United States, labeling them an “unacceptable” infringement on brazil’s sovereignty. He vowed that Brazil would take appropriate action in “appropriate forums and moments.”
Lewandowski emphasized on X (formerly Twitter) that an independent judiciary is a cornerstone of democracy and that Brazilians would not tolerate political pressure on those fulfilling their constitutional duties.
These sanctions follow a US state Department proclamation nearly two weeks prior, imposing visa restrictions on brazilian judicial officials. The US cited accusations of a “political witch hunt” against former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro, an ally of former US President donald Trump, is currently facing trial for an alleged conspiracy to invalidate the results of the 2022 presidential election, which he lost to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has denied these allegations.
Earlier this year, Brazil’s Supreme Court imposed restrictions on Bolsonaro, prohibiting him from communicating with foreign officials, approaching embassies, and using social media platforms.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a Supreme Court justice, previously made headlines last year when he ordered the suspension of the social media platform X in Brazil. This action stemmed from a dispute with X’s owner,Elon Musk,over content moderation policies concerning hate speech and X’s failure to appoint a legal representative in the country as required by law. The platform has since been reinstated in Brazil, a nation of 220 million inhabitants.
