Rubio imposes restrictions on the visas on the Brazilian judge on the Bolsonaro affair

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced restrictions on visas on a Brazilian judge after the country’s Supreme Court rendered search mandates and restraint against former President Jair Bolsonaro.

The judge of the Brazilian Supreme Court Alexandre de Moraes, his allies not specified on the court and his members of his immediate family will face visa revocations, according to Rubio, who criticized what he called a “political witch hunt” against the former president.

“President Trump clearly said that his administration would hold responsible foreign nationals who are responsible for the censorship of protected expression in the United States,” Rubio said in a statement.

“The political hunting of the Brazilian supreme federal court Alexander of Moraes against Jair Bolsonaro has created a complex of persecution and censorship so radical that it violates not only the fundamental rights of Brazilians, but also extends beyond the banks of Brazil to target the Americans,” he continued.

Police searched the home of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, the political seat

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro speaks to the media of the Federal Senate in Brasília, Brazil, July 17, 2025. (Reuters)

As part of the Court’s orders, Bolsonaro is prohibited from contacting foreign officials, using social media or approaching embassies for allegations that he asked for the interference of American president Donald Trump, according to the decision published by Moraes, who quoted a “concrete possibility” of fleeing the country.

Federal police went down to Bolsonaro’s home, and he had an ankle monitor placed on him.

Trump has already tried to put pressure on Brazil officials to help Bolsonaro by announcing a 50% tariff on the country’s goods from August 1 in a letter that started by criticizing the Bolsonaro trial before the Supreme Brazil Court on the charges of having tried to overthrow the last elections.

The American president prompted Brazil to end the case against Bolsonaro, arguing that the former Brazilian chief was the victim of a “witch hunt”.

Bolsonaro is tried before the Supreme Court of Brazil for plotting a coup to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023.

Bolsonaro told Reuters that he thought that orders against him had been issued in response to Trump’s criticism of his trial.

The former president described Moraes as a “dictator” and described the last acts of “cowardice”.

The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, arrives at the State Secretariat of the siege of the prison administration in Brasília, Brazil, July 18, 2025. (Reuters / Adriano Machado)

“I feel a supreme humiliation,” he said about the wearing of the ankle monitor. “I am 70 years old, I was President of the Republic for four years.”

Bolsonaro denied any project to leave the country, but said that he would meet Trump if he could have access to his passport, which was seized last year. He also said he had contacted the best American diplomat in Brazil to discuss Trump’s pricing threat.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said on Friday, citing the previous comments of Trump, that “Bolsonaro and his supporters were attacked by an armed judicial system”.

Trump shared a letter he sent to Bolsonaro on Thursday.

“I saw the terrible treatment you receive in the hands of an unfair system turned against you. This trial should end immediately!” He wrote.

Moraes said in his decision that restrictions on Bolsonaro were due to allegations that the former president was trying to have the “head of state of a foreign nation” interferes before the Brazilian courts, which the judge called an attack on national sovereignty.

Trump calls for an immediate end to an “unfair” trial of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced restrictions on visas on the Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, his allies not specified on the court and his members of his immediate family. (Julien de Rosa / Pool / AFP via Getty Images)

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The judge added that Trump’s highest rate threats aimed to create a serious economic crisis in Brazil to interfere in the country’s judicial system.

Bolsonaro was also prohibited from contacting key allies, including his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a member of the Brazilian congress who worked in the United States to collect the support of his father.

The former Brazilian president told Reuters that he had spoken to his son almost daily and had denied any concerted American lobbying effort on his behalf. He said he expected his son to seek American citizenship to avoid returning to Brazil.

A panel of five judges of judges of the Brazilian Supreme Court confirmed Moraes’ decision.

Reuters contributed to this report.