De Moraes described the sanctions as “cowardly and futile threats,” affirming that he would ignore them and not succumb to them. Moraes stated in an interview with Brazil’s “G1” news portal on Friday that the Supreme Court will continue to address criminal cases related to the attempted coup that took place on January 8, 2023, emphasizing his commitment to his constitutional duties.
His remarks came after being listed on the U.S. sanctions list last Wednesday, where the U.S. Treasury accused him of conducting a “campaign of repressive surveillance, arbitrary arrests, human rights violations, and political prosecutions against opponents, including former President Jair Bolsonaro.”
It is noteworthy that Jair Bolsonaro, who served as Brazil’s president from 2019 to 2023, lost the election to the current president, Lula da Silva. After the latter’s inauguration, Bolsonaro supporters stormed state institutions in a violent attack that included Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace.
In November 2024, the Brazilian Federal Police charged Bolsonaro and former officials with attempting to overthrow the democratic regime by organizing a coup, and the case is now awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court, while the former president faces a potential prison sentence.
