Officials at the U.S. Department of State sent a formal letter on Thursday (15) to Democratic Representative Delia Ramirez of Illinois stating that President Donald Trump’s administration supports the right of Brazilians to hold a free and fair election. While responding to inquiries raised by 31 members of the U.S. Congress, the executive branch stopped short of making an explicit commitment to recognize the certified outcome of the upcoming vote and defended previous financial penalties imposed against Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF), the country’s highest judicial body.
Dispatched from Washington, the correspondence carried the signature of Katherine Bowles, Assistant Secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs, even though the lawmakers had originally addressed their questions directly to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- The official response addresses an inquiry signed by 30 Democratic members of the House of Representatives and independent Senator Bernie Sanders.
- Assistant Secretary Katherine Bowles signed the reply on behalf of the State Department rather than Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Washington stood by its penalties against Justice Alexandre de Moraes and the designation of the First Capital Command (PCC) and Red Command (CV) gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.
- Brazilian voters return to the polls on Sunday, October 25, 2026, for a presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
Alongside Representative Delia Ramirez, the congressional group includes Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Jesús Chuy García, 27 other House Democrats, and independent Senator Bernie Sanders. In their initial inquiry, the legislators accused the White House of attempting to interfere in the Brazilian electoral process through a combination of diplomatic, political, and economic actions, pointing to trade tariffs deployed during the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
In the text delivered to Capitol Hill, Katherine Bowles stated: “The United States supports the right of the Brazilian people to a free and fair electoral process. We will continue to engage with the Brazilian people, the private sector, and the elected government to promote security, reciprocal trade, investment, and prosperity in both countries.”
Magnitsky Act penalties against Alexandre de Moraes and terror labels for Brazilian gangs
Throughout the reply, the Trump administration justified its application of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, a U.S. federal law that authorizes the president to freeze assets and ban visas for foreign individuals accused of systemic corruption or severe human rights abuses. The State Department maintained that it reviews all allegations under strict legal and regulatory standards, adding that the sanctions previously applied to Justice Alexandre de Moraes relied on documented evidence. According to the department, the Brazilian jurist “abused his position by authorizing unjustified preventive detentions and compromising freedom of expression.”
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State Department officials further accused the Supreme Federal Court justice of leading “a targeted and politically motivated initiative to silence political critics through the issuance of secret orders compelling digital platforms, including American social media companies, to ban accounts of individuals posting speech protected by freedom of expression.”
Beyond judicial sanctions, the executive branch stood behind its decision to classify two major Brazilian criminal factions, the First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital, or PCC) and the Red Command (Comando Vermelho, or CV), as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). U.S. officials argued that both groups operate with extreme violence, carry out attacks against civilians and public authorities in Brazil, and pose a direct threat to regional stability. “The Department’s actions reinforce the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and criminal organizations in our region and ensuring the safety of the American people,” the letter stated.
Sequence of U.S. diplomatic actions and congressional letters regarding Brazil
Friction between Washington and Brasília, as well as the correspondence between Capitol Hill and the State Department, unfolded across several key dates since mid-2025:
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- July 2025: President Donald Trump’s administration applies financial sanctions under the Magnitsky Act against Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
- December 12, 2025: U.S. authorities remove the names of Alexandre de Moraes and his wife, Viviane Barci de Moraes, from the list of sanctioned individuals.
- May 28, 2026: Hours after a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces the designation of the PCC and CV gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, taking effect on June 5, 2026.
- September 24, 2026: A coalition of 31 U.S. lawmakers sends a letter to Secretary Marco Rubio questioning steep tariffs initiated under a Section 301 investigation by the U.S. Trade Representative, the appointment of Darren Beattie as a senior advisor on Brazil issues, the revocation of the Brazilian ambassador’s U.S. visa, sanction criteria, and whether Washington will recognize the election outcome.
- September 29, 2026: Three Democratic senators submit a separate document demanding formal guarantees that the U.S. government will accept the certified results of the Brazilian vote.
- October 6, 2026: Following the first round of voting in Brazil on October 4, 12 House members send a three-page letter accusing the White House of promoting an unnecessary escalation in bilateral tensions.
- October 15, 2026: Assistant Secretary Katherine Bowles signs and transmits the State Department’s official response to Representative Delia Ramirez.
Presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro set for October 25
The State Department’s letter reached lawmakers exactly ten days before Brazilian voters return to the ballot boxes to choose their next head of state. Scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2026, the presidential runoff pits incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers’ Party (PT), who is seeking reelection, against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party of Rio de Janeiro (PL-RJ).
Although the correspondence noted that Washington intends to work with the elected government, the Trump administration left unanswered the specific question from lawmakers on whether it will formally recognize the certified tally issued by Brazil’s electoral court after October 25. The State Department also omitted detailed explanations for parts of five additional questions submitted by the congressional group regarding the internal methodology used to evaluate sanction requests brought forward by foreign actors.
