• The US sanctions Viviane Barci de Moraes, wife of Brazilian Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
• Prison sentence imposed on former President Jair Bolsonaro sparks diplomatic tensions.
• Trump administration expands sanctions targeting Brazilian judiciary with claims of human rights abuses.
• Revocation of visas for six Brazilian officials follows the sanctions.
• The Brazilian government rejects allegations of a censorship regime.

The U.S. government has sanctioned Viviane Barci de Moraes, the wife of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as part of growing tensions following the conviction of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Under the Global Magnitsky Act, these sanctions not only target Barci de Moraes but also the Lex Instituto de Estudos Juridicos, a financial entity controlled by her and her family, which is believed to help evade earlier sanctions, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and South China Morning Post.

The sanctions come after Bolsonaro, a right-wing ally of former President Trump, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to remain in power after losing the 2022 election. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the sanctions are intended to hold accountable those who support Justice Moraes' alleged abuses of power, including censorship and arbitrary detentions, according to The Hill and Los Angeles Times.

In conjunction with the sanctions, the Trump administration revoked the visas of six additional Brazilian judicial officials, including Solicitor-General Jorge Messias, who has characterized the U.S. actions as “unjust” and an overreach of unilateral measures against Brazil, as reported by South China Morning Post and Reuters.

These sanctions are part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration, which has accused Moraes of utilizing his judicial power to suppress dissent and impose significant restrictions on freedom of expression in Brazil. Despite these accusations, Brazilian officials assert that their legal framework upholds freedom of speech and the judiciary's independence, a claim echoed by de Moraes himself, who criticized the U.S. actions as attacks on Brazil's sovereignty, according to South China Morning Post and The Hill.

As the situation unfolds, U.S. officials have hinted at the possibility of further sanctions should Brazilian authorities continue to act against U.S. interests, which adds to growing diplomatic strains between the two nations as they navigate the fallout from Bolsonaro’s conviction. The Brazilian Congress is currently considering an amnesty bill aimed at easing the legal repercussions for Bolsonaro and his associates, which may stoke further tensions with the U.S. government, according to South China Morning Post, Los Angeles Times, and The Hill.