Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott has joined Representative María Elvira Salazar, Chairwoman of the House of Representatives’ Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, along with Representatives Carlos A. Giménez, Rich McCormick, and Chris Smith, in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The letter urges the cancellation or revocation of visas for Brazilian Supreme Court justices accused of silencing free speech.

The lawmakers specifically targeted Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has led actions against the social network X (formerly Twitter) and several conservative politicians. These actions culminated in a nationwide ban on the platform and restrictions on its use by Brazilian citizens. The legislators argue that this constitutes a violation of freedom of speech principles.

On August 30, 2024, Justice de Moraes banned X from Brazil entirely, leaving millions without access to the app. Additionally, fines were imposed for accessing the app through VPNs. The Brazilian government also froze accounts related to Starlink, a company owned by Elon Musk, to pressure compliance with legal requirements.

The legislators stated: “Justice de Moraes has a well-documented history of curbing free speech, particularly against individuals and groups with conservative political views. His latest actions represent a culmination of a broader pattern of judicial overreach. We respectfully urge you to deny any application for U.S. visas or admission to the United States, including revoking any existing visas, for Justice Alexandre de Moraes and the other members of the Brazilian Supreme Court complicit in these undemocratic practices.”

To read the full text of the letter, click HERE.

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