BRAZIL TODAY

  The United States Department of Justice sent an official letter to Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) in response to the decisions that led to the suspension of American digital platforms in Brazil, such as Rumble. The information was revealed by The New York Times, which claimed to have had exclusive access to the content of the document. According to the newspaper, the American authorities expressed dissatisfaction with the measures imposed by Moraes, especially in relation to the order to block Rumble. Although they recognize that Brazil has autonomy to apply its own laws in the digital sphere, they argue that this does not extend to the imposition of court decisions on companies based outside the country, as is the case with companies from the United States. The main criticism focused on the order to take Rumble offline, which occurred in February of this year. The decision was made after the platform refused to comply with several Brazilian co...

 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday (28) the implementation of a new policy that imposes visa restrictions on foreign authorities involved in acts of censorship against US citizens. According to him, the measure seeks to protect the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the US Constitution, especially in the digital environment. Although Rubio did not disclose specific names of the targets of the restrictions, he mentioned Latin America as one of the regions included in the measures. He also described the types of behavior that could lead to the application of sanctions, emphasizing the protection of Americans who use social media while in the country. Among the targets of the new policy are foreign authorities who issue or threaten to issue arrest warrants against US citizens or residents based on posts made by these individuals on social media — such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp (platforms owned by the US company Meta) and X (formerly Twitter, con...

The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) has stated that possible sanctions by the United States against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes represent a serious violation of national sovereignty. The statement followed recent statements in the US Congress, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Donald Trump's government is considering measures against Moraes. According to the CNDH, these initiatives would be unacceptable, since they would constitute undue interference in Brazil's internal affairs. The entity argued that such an attitude compromises the principles governing diplomatic relations, especially since this involves an authority from Brazil's highest constitutional court. In a statement, the council emphasized that this political move has no precedent in the modern history of international relations between democracies. Rubio's statements came in response to a question from Republican Senator Cory Lee Mills, who referred to alleged judicial pers...

On Sunday (25), Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declared that, "sooner or later", Guyana will need to "recognize Venezuelan sovereignty" over the Essequibo territory, a region rich in natural resources that has been disputed by both countries for over a hundred years. For the first time, Venezuelans participated in a vote to choose representatives who will deal with issues related to the disputed area, after the enactment of a law that transforms the vast region into one of the country's 24 states. The controversy over the 160,000 square kilometers of Essequibo intensified in 2015, when oil deposits explored by ExxonMobil were discovered. While Guyana has appealed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to validate the 1899 arbitration award — which defined the current borders and is rejected by Caracas —, Venezuela bases its argument on the 1966 Geneva Agreement, signed before Guyana's independence from the United Kingdom, which nullifies the previ...

 President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received the President of Angola, João Lourenço, at the Planalto Palace on Friday (23) during an official visit during Africa Week in Brazil. The meeting strengthened the historical and diplomatic ties between the two nations and marked the beginning of a new phase of economic cooperation. During the meeting, Lula announced that Brazil intends to reactivate export financing lines for projects in Angola, with the support of the BNDES. Lula highlighted Angola's reliability as a partner, recalling that the African country paid off its debt to Brazil in advance, five years ahead of schedule. “There is no reason to be afraid of negotiating or granting credit to Angola. They honor their commitments,” he stated. The Chief Executive also highlighted the strategic role of Petrobras, advocating that the state-owned company resume its oil and gas prospecting activities in African territory. Furthermore, the Brazilian president signaled that he will work w...

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated during a hearing in the US Congress that there is a strong possibility that the future Donald Trump administration will impose sanctions against the Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The measure would be based on the Magnitsky Act, which authorizes the US government to punish foreigners involved in corruption or serious human rights violations. Created in 2012 and expanded in 2016, the Magnitsky Act allows sanctions to be imposed unilaterally, without the need for a formal judicial process. Based on reports from international organizations, press reports or testimonies, the US Executive can block assets, freeze bank accounts and prevent individuals from accessing the US financial system. In addition, the law allows the sanctioned individual to be banned from entering the country. This legislation was instituted in response to the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who exposed a corruption scheme involving tax authorities ...

The Donald Trump administration is considering applying harsh sanctions against Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and is already anticipating possible reactions from the Supreme Federal Court. As a way of increasing pressure, American authorities are considering extending these penalties to other members of the Court and also to their spouses, especially wives who work in law firms. According to investigations, the United States Department of Justice has mapped out Supreme Federal Court justices who are married to women who lead or have significant participation in law firms in Brazil. The logic behind this measure would be to compromise the main source of family income of the judges, increasing the effectiveness of the sanctions. Extending the blockade would directly affect the law firms linked to these women, preventing American companies or companies with activities in the United States from maintaining business relations with them. Among the names mentioned are Justices Alexandre de Mor...

  Elias Rodriguez, 31, was officially charged on Thursday (22) with the murder of two members of the Israeli Embassy in the United States. The crime took place the night before, Wednesday (21), shortly after an event held at a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. According to information released by authorities, Rodriguez approached the victims as they were leaving the museum and opened fire. At the time of his arrest, the suspect reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” and later told police that the attack was motivated by support for the Palestinian cause and in response to the situation in Gaza. During questioning, he also revealed that he admired a man who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in February of this year, calling him “brave” and a true “martyr”.  The case is being treated as a possible terrorist act and also as a hate crime, since the victims were part of the Jewish community. The District Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, stated th...

  During a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 13, 2025, the Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa, and the Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission of China, Zheng Shanjie, signed a memorandum of understanding that marks the first phase of a broad cooperation plan between Brazil and China. The proposal seeks to deepen bilateral relations, especially in areas such as infrastructure, technology and innovation. The plan, consolidated after Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Brazil in November 2024, is aligned with strategic Brazilian programs such as the New PAC, the New Industry Plan for Brazil and the Ecological Transformation Plan. The partnership foresees the creation of bilateral forums to discuss and promote investments in sectors such as railways, subways, ports, airports and highways. China will also be able to participate in infrastructure auctions and concessions in Brazil. According to Rui Costa, the intention is to transform ...

  The United States Embassy in Brasilia reported this week that the American government is offering a reward of up to US$10 million (approximately R$52 million) for information that could help identify and weaken the Hezbollah group's operations in the Tri-Border region, between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. According to the report, members and financial supporters of the extremist group operate in this territory through various illicit activities, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, smuggling of coal, oil, cigarettes, cash and luxury goods. The group is also involved in the illegal diamond trade and counterfeiting of documents and currency. In addition, according to the American government, Hezbollah also benefits from economic activities in other Latin American countries, including the construction sector, the real estate market and the import and export of various goods.  What the US intends to find out with the rewards The amount offered will be destined to those...