Eduardo Bolsonaro presses Washington for sanctions as Brazil’s top court rejects outside pressure

Eduardo Bolsonaro presses Washington for sanctions as Brazil’s top court rejects outside pressure
Eduardo Bolsonaro, a former federal lawmaker, and businessman Paulo Figueiredo held meetings in Washington with members of the Trump administration seeking US sanctions against Supreme Federal Court justices Alexandre de Moraes, Gilmar Mendes and Flávio Dino. Reports said the request followed a court session over whether to open an inquiry involving Moraes and the Banco Master case.

Bolsonaro’s allies argue that material connected to the Banco Master investigation—including messages and contracts involving the law office of Moraes’s wife—warrants scrutiny under the Global Magnitsky framework. Moraes disputes that the messages demonstrate genuine conversations, according to one account, while the campaign’s organizers present them as indications of possible favoritism or corruption. Figueiredo amplified the expectation of renewed measures by reposting a claim that the US Treasury had prepared restrictions against Moraes and other justices, though the post provided no official confirmation.

The effort builds on sanctions imposed on Moraes in July 2025 and lifted in December, and on a wider clash over cases involving former president Jair Bolsonaro and court decisions affecting digital platforms. The US Treasury had accused Moraes of arbitrary detentions and restrictions on expression; Brazilian authorities rejected the allegations as interference in domestic affairs.

The court’s response is markedly different from Bolsonaro’s allies’ framing. Dino said during the September 15 session that his position would not change because of possible US measures, criticizing the prospect of “foreign pressure” on the court. The proceeding itself was paused after Dino requested additional time to review a procedural issue, leaving the merits of the request concerning Moraes unexamined.

Supporters publicly encouraged Bolsonaro’s trip. Allan Dos Santos wrote that Bolsonaro was heading to Washington and urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “go all in.” But any decision on sanctions remains with US authorities; the reported meetings did not identify the officials involved or establish that Washington would act.

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