Kwankwaso hails Catholic bishops, urges govt to address cost of living, insecurity

The United States has revoked the visa of Brazil's ambassador to Washington, escalating a diplomatic row between the two nations. A State Department official confirmed the decision on Tuesday, stating that the move stems from Brazil's prolonged delay in approving a new US ambassador. "We think the government of Brazil owes us a prompt and positive answer to our request," the official said.

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We think the government of Brazil owes us a prompt and positive answer to our request.

However, the visa revocation does not equate to expelling the ambassador from the United States. "The visa of a senior diplomat here was revoked or canceled. That is not the same thing as kicking the person out of the country," the official clarified, speaking on condition of anonymity.

This latest friction arises after Brazil denied visas to two US officials last month who intended to meet with election authorities, citing concerns about the "risk of political exploitation." The US State Department spokesperson countered that the officials aimed to discuss "election integrity, religious freedom and freedom of expression" with various Brazilian stakeholders, dismissing any insinuation of a ploy to undermine democracy as a "baseless lie."

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The visa of a senior diplomat here was revoked or canceled. That is not the same thing as kicking the person out of the country.

The visa denials occurred amid renewed, unfounded claims by right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro regarding the insecurity of Brazil's electronic voting system. These claims echo those made by his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who falsely alleged widespread fraud in the 2020 US election. Jair Bolsonaro himself was later barred from running for office and is currently serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup following his 2022 election loss.

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Any insinuation of a ‘ploy’ to undermine a democratic nation’s election is a baseless lie.