With Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva about to open the United Nations General Assembly next week in New York, the United States is signalling new retaliatory measures based on the conviction of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
In an interview aired Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington will disclose further sanctions “next week” in reaction to what he described as “judicial oppression” in Brazil.
Without naming Justice Alexandre de Moraes, Rubio accused an STF court of attempting to bring “extraterritorial claims against American citizens.”
The remarks exacerbate a diplomatic stalemate that has been brewing since Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled against Bolsonaro for his role in a coup plot.
Rubio’s statements echo Donald Trump’s former secretary of state’s recent condemnation of the investigation as a “witch hunt,” which he warned would result in a US reaction.
Sanctions and tariffs are already in place
The US has already sanctioned Brazilian entities and nationals. Moraes was sanctioned by the US earlier this year under the Magnitsky Act, which also imposes financial restrictions, including blocking access to international payment systems like Visa and Mastercard.
Bolsonaro appointees Kassio Nunes Marques and André Mendonça, and Justice Luiz Fux, who had voted for Bolsonaro’s acquittal, were among the few STF justices who did not have their US visas suspended.
Brazilian goods have also endured increased tariffs during the past several months, some up to 50%.
The trade pressure has stoked fears in Brasília that new sanctions could now hit other officials or industries.
Cited by the Brazilian media, government sources said that the Lula government hopes that the next series of measures will bring personal sanctions on more STF members or officials related to the coup case.
Rubio criticises the judiciary’s overreach
In his remarks, Rubio condemned Bolsonaro’s conviction as “just another chapter in a growing campaign of judicial oppression” that, he claimed, goes beyond Brazil’s borders.
“You have these activist judges, one in particular who not only went after Bolsonaro but also tried to assert extraterritorial claims even against American citizens, or against someone posting online from within the United States,” Rubio said on CNN.
“So, there will be a US response to this, and we’ll have some announcements in the next week or so about what additional steps we intend to take.”
The State Department issued a transcript of Rubio’s speech, emphasising that the criticism reflected official policy.
Brazil pushes back, Lula prepares UN address
Washington may be pulling some strings behind the scenes, but Lula’s government responds that Brazil will not bend to outside forces.
The conviction of Bolsonaro and the other military showed the world that Brazilian institutions are still working, a member of his administration told O Globo.
The term even occurs in a Brazilian speech, as Lula used the phrase “tariff blackmail” to refer to US trade policies in a conversation with the BRICS last week.
He is anticipated to utilise that argument when addressing the United Nations Assembly, which he has presided over throughout his three tenures as president.
In an op-ed piece published on Sunday in The New York Times, Lula managed to seem both candid and defiant. He stated that Brazil “is available to negotiate whatever may be of common interest,” but emphasised that “the democracy and sovereignty of Brazil are not negotiable.”
He referred to the STF’s ruling as “historic” and protective of the democratic rule of law.
Trade and climate loom over UN week
Lula’s visit to New York has greater significance, especially in light of the timing of the confrontation.
That is, in addition to the Assembly, he is going to the UN Climate Summit on September 24, where countries will announce renewed goals for emissions and their adaptation plans.
Brazil, which has the COP30 host city of Belém in November, wants to be a climate diplomacy central player.
Brasilia officials say that further US sanctions, particularly against agribusiness that is linked to Russian fertiliser imports, could damage Lula’s efforts to project leadership on sustainability.
Washington’s sanctions against Brazil are also similar to previous far-reaching measures.
Some Brazilian officials are concerned that the tariffs Trump slapped on India for importing Russian oil may now be applied to their country.
Both governments seem to be caught in an ever-growing spiral of pressure and retaliation as Lula prepares to give his speech, threatening Brazil’s global reputation and the state of US-Brazil relations.
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