Rubio says US revokes visa for Brazil judge over Bolsonaro ‘witch hunt'
WASHINGTON : The US on Friday revoked a visa for a prominent Brazilian judge hours after he restricted activities of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro over charges of plotting a coup.
'Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes's political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro created a persecution and censorship complex so sweeping that it not only violates basic rights of Brazilians but also extends beyond Brazil's shores to target Americans,' secretary of state Marco Rubio said in a statement.
Rubio said the visa restrictions would also apply to judges who side with Moraes on the court as well as the justices' immediate family members.
Moraes has long sparred with Bolsonaro, an ally of US President Donald Trump.
Both Trump and Bolsonaro have claimed to be victims of political persecution, and the former frequently verbally attacks judges at home over their rulings.
Bolsonaro is accused of plotting a coup reminiscent of the Jan 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by Trump's supporters after his election loss to president Joe Biden.
Rubio's order came as Moraes ordered the ex-president to wear an electronic ankle bracelet, not leave his home at night, or use social media.
Trump has already announced a 50% tariff on Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, to pressure the country now led by leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
29 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Man with outstanding warrant climbs US Treasury gate, triggers bomb scare
WASHINGTON DC, July 28 — The US Secret Service arrested a man after he climbed a gate at the US Treasury building in Washington on Sunday at about 2.30 pm, the agency said in statement. Traffic in the area was blocked off as Washington's Metropolitan Police Department's bomb squad, 'out of an abundance of caution,' examined a bag the man had left on the sidewalk outside the fence, according to the statement from a Secret Service spokesperson. It was not an explosive device, the spokesperson added. The Treasury building is located next to the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. No Secret Service protectees were at the White House at the time, the statement said. The suspect was charged with unlawful entry and in connection with an outstanding warrant and was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation, according to the statement. — Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
5 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
EU, Macron urge Niger junta to free ex-president
Emmanuel Macron voiced support for Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held for two years after being ousted in Niger's coup. (AP pic) BRUSSELS : The EU and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday urged Niger's ruling junta to release ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, two years to the day the army detained him. Bazoum has been held, along with his wife Hadiza, in a wing of the presidential palace, and according to his lawyers, he has not left the building in that time. The 27-member bloc said in a statement it welcomed the recent release of some political prisoners but 'regretted' the continued detention of Bazoum, 65, and others. 'The EU calls again for the release of these people who are being held for political reasons,' said the statement from Kaja Kallas, the bloc's top diplomat. Macron also called for Bazoum's release in a separate statement Saturday. 'Today, my thoughts are with Mohamed Bazoum, arbitrarily held for two years after the putsch which drove him from office as president of Niger,' Macron wrote on Facebook. 'I am also thinking of his wife Hadiza, who is held with him and his loved ones. I add my voice to all those calling for his release,' he added. Months after the coup, the junta said it intended to put Bazoum on trial, accusing him of treason and of 'plotting against the security and authority of the state'. If he was convicted of treason, he could face the death penalty, say his lawyers. In June last year, Niger's state court, set up by the regime, lifted Bazoum's presidential immunity, which could open the path to a trial. To date, however, no case has been opened against the former president, who was elected in 2021 and has not resigned. 'The EU remains available for a frank, honest, and structured dialogue with the Nigerien authorities based on mutual respect and shared interests,' the EU statement said.
Free Malaysia Today
5 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
US to release result of probe into chip imports in 2 weeks
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick walks away after meeting US President Donald Trump. (AP pic) TURNBERRY : The Trump administration will announce the results of a national security probe into imports of semiconductors in two weeks, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said on Sunday, as president Donald Trump suggested higher tariffs were on the horizon. Lutnick told reporters after a meeting between Trump and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen that the investigation was one of the 'key reasons' the EU sought to negotiate a broader trade agreement that would 'resolve all things at one time'. Trump said many companies would be investing in semiconductor manufacturing in the US, including some from Taiwan and other places, to avoid getting hit by new tariffs. He said von der Leyen had avoided the pending chips tariffs 'in a much better way'. Trump and von der Leyen announced a new framework trade agreement that includes across-the-board 15% tariffs on EU imports entering the US. Trump said the agreement included autos, which face a higher 25% tariff under a separate sectoral tariff action. The Trump administration in April said it was investigating whether extensive reliance on foreign imports of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors posed a national security threat. The probe, being conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, could lay the groundwork for new tariffs on imports in both sectors. The Trump administration has begun separate investigations under the same law into imports of copper and lumber. Earlier probes completed during Trump's first term formed the basis for 25% tariffs rolled out since his return to the White House in January on steel and aluminium and on the auto industry. Trump has upended global trade with a series of aggressive levies against trading partners, including a 10% tariff that took effect in April, with that rate set to increase sharply for most larger trading partners from Aug 1. The US relies heavily on chips imported from Taiwan, something Democratic former President Joe Biden sought to reverse during his term by granting billions of dollars in Chips Act awards to lure chipmakers to expand production in the US.
