According to a senior US State Department official speaking on August 4, Washington has revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the US. The reason? Brazil has yet to approve Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to Brazil and has also refused to issue visas to several American diplomats.
The official clarified that this move doesn’t mean the Brazilian ambassador is being expelled. If the US ambassador nominee gets the green light, the Brazilian ambassador’s visa will be restored as well.
On July 25, Brazil’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it had denied visas to two US officials—Leigh Barnes, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and Samuel Samson, Deputy Assistant Secretary. President Lula later indicated that Brazil believed these American officials were trying to meddle in the country’s presidential election.
Meanwhile, Brazil has been dragging its feet on approving Trump’s nominee, Daniel Perez, a Florida congressman and close ally of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was nominated on June 1.
Reuters reported last week, citing sources, that if Brazil kept stalling on the diplomatic approval process required for the new US ambassador, Washington might hit back with “punitive measures.”
The revocation of the Brazilian ambassador’s visa underscores just how much friction is building between the Trump and Lula administrations.
Brazil heads to the polls in October for its presidential election. Incumbent Lula will face off against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, a Trump ally whose father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, was recently sentenced to 27 years and 3 months in prison by Brazil’s Supreme Court for plotting a coup.
Late last month, Trump slapped hefty tariffs on a range of Brazilian goods. Lula fired back, saying the tariffs were a political weapon meant to boost Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign.