Brazil has refused entry visas to two senior United States State Department officials who were scheduled to visit the country next week, escalating diplomatic tensions between Brasília and Washington ahead of Brazil’s October presidential election.
The development emerged after reports that the officials intended to discuss issues relating to the country’s electoral process during their planned visit.
A spokesperson for Brazil’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Riley M. Barnes, an assistant secretary, and Samuel Samson, a deputy assistant secretary, submitted their visa applications on July 20. The applications were rejected on Friday, although no official reason was provided for the decision.
The move comes as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva prepares to seek another term in office against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, whose family maintains close ties with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Earlier this year, Senator Bolsonaro and his brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, travelled to Washington, where they met with senior US officials, including President Trump.
Shortly after those meetings, the Trump administration designated Brazil’s two largest criminal organisations, First Command Capital and Red Command, as foreign terrorist organisations, a decision opposed by the Lula government.
Relations between the two countries have also been strained by new US trade measures. Washington recently introduced tariffs of up to 37.5 per cent on thousands of Brazilian exports, which took effect on Friday.
The US government has accused Brazil of engaging in unfair trade practices and failing to address forced labour concerns. However, Lula’s administration has rejected those allegations, describing them as an attempt to influence the country’s upcoming election.
According to the US State Department, Barnes and Samson were expected to visit Brasília from July 27 to 30 for meetings with government representatives, religious leaders and civil society groups to discuss election integrity, religious freedom and freedom of expression.
Responding to criticism surrounding the trip, the department described it as a routine diplomatic visit and dismissed suggestions that it was designed to interfere in Brazil’s democratic process.
Meanwhile, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly questioned the credibility of Brazil’s electronic voting system without presenting evidence, is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence following his conviction over an attempted coup.
Although his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, has previously echoed concerns about the country’s voting system, he avoided raising the issue on Saturday when his Liberal Party officially confirmed him as its presidential candidate.
