Trump administration includes Alexandre de Moraes' wife in Magnitsky Act sanctions

The Donald Trump administration has added Minister Alexandre de Moraes ' wife, lawyer Viviane Barci de Moraes , to the list of individuals sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act , which imposes financial and territorial restrictions on the United States. The measure, announced on Monday, the 22nd, also extends to the Lex Institute, a company linked to the minister's family.

The announcement comes 11 days after former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and seven close allies were convicted of attempted coup d'état. On Monday the 15th, Trump administration Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was considering new sanctions against Brazil , which could be published as early as this week.

Viviane is a partner at the São Paulo-based law firm Barci de Moraes. CartaCapital contacted the firm after the measure was officially announced and is awaiting a response. The office remains open.

Since early July, the Trump administration has been taking retaliatory measures against Brazil over the Bolsonaro case, as reported by Moraes. In addition to sanctions against the country as a whole, such as a 50% tariff on Brazilian products imported into the US, the minister has been targeted – as have his "allies" on the Supreme Court, who have had their visas to travel to the US revoked .

Moraes, one of Bolsonarism's most vocal opponents today, has been a Magnitsky target since July 30 , before Bolsonaro was actually brought to trial and convicted. As CartaCapital has shown, the measure's true practical effects are still uncertain.

The proposed sanctions include the freezing of accounts and assets in the United States—something Moraes apparently does not have. Days earlier, the Trump administration had already suspended the minister's visa. And, as Folha de S.Paulo revealed on the 20th, a US-branded credit card used by Moraes was blocked. In exchange, he received an Elo-branded card.

The main question, however, is the indirect consequences. There's a risk that companies with operations in the United States—from credit card companies to digital platforms—will feel pressured to comply with the sanction. This could even affect big tech companies like Alphabet (Google, YouTube, and Gmail), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), as well as Amazon and Apple.