The US on Monday imposed sanctions on the wife of the Brazilian judge who presided over the criminal case of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro and also yanked the visas of six high-ranking officials, as a months-long showdown between the Trump administration and the Brazilian government escalates.
Advertisement
Widening the penalties targeting Brazil’s judiciary, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Viviane Barci de Moraes, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, under authorities provided by the Global Magnitsky Act, the Treasury Department said.
It also imposed sanctions on the Lex Institute, a financial entity controlled by Barci de Moraes and other family members.
The US government believes the Lex Institute could serve as a vehicle to evade pre-existing sanctions, a senior administration official said.
The new sanctions underline how Trump has been using financial penalties to achieve political ends.
Advertisement
In the past, Magnitsky Act sanctions have been reserved for individuals whose actions draw bipartisan scorn, such as war criminals or individuals involved in assassinations.