Moraes’s Optimism about Overturning Magnitsky Act’s Punishment

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes stated in an interview with Reuters published on Wednesday, the 20th, that he believes the Trump administration will reverse the sanctions imposed against him. Moraes said it is ‘fully possible’ to challenge the decision in U.S. courts to suspend the punishment, but he chose to wait for a ‘diplomatic solution’ between Brazil and the United States. ‘When this information is accurately conveyed – and this is being done now – and the data arrives documented to the American authorities, I believe that no judicial action will be necessary to reverse it. I believe that the U.S. Executive Branch, the President, will reverse it,’ he argued. Justifying his trust in this possibility, Moraes mentioned alleged internal divisions in the Trump administration that could weaken the sanctions. ‘There was reluctance in the State Department and significant reluctance in the Treasury Department. So, based on this, with the most accurate information, I believe both departments will present it to the president for this purpose.’ However, the judge did not detail the alleged internal disagreements or explain how he obtained the information.