POLITICS

US Lifts Moraes Sanctions, Reversing July Global Magnitsky

PUBLISHED Dec 12, 2025, 4:20 PM ET

Read, Watch or Listen

Media Bias Meter

Sources: 6

Center 100%

Sources: 6

BRASILIA/WASHINGTON, The United States lifted sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Friday, rescinding July Global Magnitsky designations and related measures affecting his wife and a family-linked institute. The Treasury Department said continued designation no longer served US foreign-policy interests, following diplomatic outreach between Washington and Brasilia and recent tariff rollbacks. Moraes welcomed the decision in Brasilia. The move follows prior Trump-administration actions that targeted Moraes over his role in the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The decision may affect bilateral relations and legal diplomacy between two governments. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

By Daniel Hayes | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

July 2025 — US Treasury designates Justice Alexandre de Moraes under the Global Magnitsky Act.
September 2025 — Sanctions extended to Viviane Barci de Moraes and Instituto Lex.
Late 2025 — Washington and Brasilia engage in diplomatic outreach and ease tariffs.
12-13 December 2025 — US Treasury removes sanctions on Moraes, his wife, and the institute.
December 2025 — Moraes publicly welcomes the removal; US officials cite policy reasons.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 6
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 0
Neutral:: 6

Who Benefited

The lifting of sanctions benefited the Lula administration's diplomatic agenda, reduced legal and travel restrictions on Justice Alexandre de Moraes and his family-linked entities, and eased tensions that had affected US-Brazil trade and diplomatic engagement.

Who Impacted

The reversal represented a political setback for Jair Bolsonaro and his allies who had lobbied for the sanctions, reducing a tool they and sympathetic US actors had used to criticise Brazil's judiciary and its prosecutions.

Media Bias