The government of Donald Trump allocated US$1 million, about R$5.2 million, to fund civil society organizations challenging decisions of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court (STF). The information was published by the British newspaper The Guardian.
According to the publication on Wednesday (30), the initiative is part of a package of 43 projects, totaling US$176.9 million, funded by the United States Department of State’s Human Rights and Democracy Fund.
The funds were committed by the American government on Wednesday, the last day of the U.S. fiscal year, despite objections raised in Congress. According to the newspaper, Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a memorandum to override blocks maintained by lawmakers on part of the funds.
Project Aims at the Supreme Court’s Actions
Named “Countering Lawfare and Censorship in Brazil” — roughly “Fighting the political use of justice and censorship in Brazil” — the program intends to fund groups that oppose what the American documents classify as excessive judicial power and censorship practiced by the STF.
The documentation obtained by The Guardian does not identify which Brazilian organizations will receive the money.
The project appears in the context of a series of conflicts between the Trump administration and members of the Supreme Court over the last two years, particularly Alexandre de Moraes.
The minister was sanctioned by the United States in July 2025 under the Magnitsky Act. The measures were withdrawn in December of the same year.
The American government accused the minister of abuse of authority and undue restrictions on freedom of expression. Moraes and the STF maintained on various occasions that decisions taken in investigations and proceedings under his purview sought to curb threats to institutions, attacks on democracy and the dissemination of false information.
Package Includes Anti-Communism, Immigration and Religious Agendas
The funds directed to Brazil represent a small portion of the whole package. The largest individual project envisions US$40 million for a consortium led by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, an American organization dedicated to criticizing communism.
Other programs address immigration, protection of Christian communities in Nigeria, resistance to what American documents call “gender ideology” and opposition to certain European regulations.
Initiatives were also planned in the United Kingdom related to reducing economic regulations and Brexit-associated policies. Some projects initially considered by the government were withdrawn after criticisms in Congress and public backlash.
The set represents a shift in how the Trump administration uses the Human Rights and Democracy Fund. Historically aimed at dissidents, human rights advocates and civil society organizations that operate in authoritarian regimes, the program has come to include projects in consolidated democracies and issues tied to the policy priorities of the current American administration.
