US removes sanctions on Brazil Supreme Court justice
The US Treasury Department lifted sanctions on Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Friday, following efforts to mend diplomatic relations between the US and Brazil.
Moraes had overseen a trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was jailed earlier this year, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
The sanctions were initially imposed during the Trump administration as part of a broader set of punitive actions targeting Brazil. The move came after Trump, a staunch Bolsonaro ally, condemned the trial as a "witch hunt." Moraes was sanctioned in July, and his wife, Viviane Barci de Moraes, was targeted shortly after.
The sanctions against the couple, as well as a company linked to their family, were eased amid growing diplomatic efforts between the two countries. A senior official from the Trump administration explained that "continued designation is inconsistent with US foreign policy interests."
Moraes expressed his relief over the lifting of the sanctions, stating, "I believed, and I still believe...that the truth, once it reached US authorities, would prevail," in a statement from Brasília. He credited the efforts of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his team for bringing about the change.
The lifting of sanctions comes after months of tensions between the two countries. However, relations began to improve following a high-level meeting in October between President Lula and President Trump. In another move to restore ties, the US exempted key Brazilian exports from a 40% tariff that had been imposed due to the trial.
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