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US revokes Brazil ambassador’s visa in escalation of diplomatic feud

From The Guardian · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The U.S. revoked the visa of Brazil's ambassador to the U.S. in retaliation for Brazil's refusal to approve the U.S. ambassador nominee and deny visas to two U.S. diplomats.
  • The U.S. State Department stated the action is reciprocal and warned of further measures if Brazil continues to withhold approval for the nominee, Daniel Perez.
  • Brazil condemned the move as a hostile escalation motivated by ideology and accused the U.S. of interfering in its upcoming election.

The Trump administration has escalated a diplomatic dispute with Brazil by revoking the visa of the South American nation's ambassador to the United States, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti. The U.S. State Department cited Brazil's refusal to approve President Trump's nominee for ambassador in Brasília and its decision to deny visas to two U.S. diplomats as reasons for the retaliatory measure.

We communicated continually with the Brazilian government for weeks and have given the Brazilian government every opportunity to do the right thing, yet they have continually delayed and obfuscated.

— State Department spokespersonExplaining the U.S. rationale for revoking the ambassador's visa.

A State Department spokesperson described the action as reciprocal, emphasizing that the ambassador's visa could be reinstated if Brazil approves the nomination of Daniel Perez, a Florida Republican and close ally of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Washington warned that additional diplomatic actions are possible if Brazil persists in delaying the approval process.

This is a reciprocal action. Should the ambassador leave the country, she would need to reapply for a visa.

— State Department spokespersonDescribing the conditions under which the ambassador's visa could be restored.

Brazil swiftly condemned the U.S. action, labeling it a deliberate escalation of hostile measures driven by ideological reasons and an attempt to influence the country's upcoming election. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's office stated that the decision was not isolated but part of a pattern of actions against Brazil. Brasília also accused the U.S. of breaching diplomatic norms by announcing Perez's nomination before seeking consent.

Today’s decision is not an isolated incident. It is part of a deliberate escalation of hostile measures against Brazil, motivated by ideological reasons.

— Lula's officeCondemning the U.S. action and framing it as politically motivated.

The dispute is intertwined with Brazil's contentious election campaign, where Lula is seeking a fourth term against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and a Trump ally. The U.S. administration, however, maintains that President Trump has the right to choose his representatives abroad and rejects any foreign interference in U.S. domestic processes. The controversy follows Brazil's earlier refusal to grant visas to two U.S. officials planning a visit to discuss election integrity.

President Trump has the right to determine who represents the American people and interests around the world. We reject any effort by foreign countries to interfere in our domestic processes.

— State DepartmentAsserting U.S. sovereignty in ambassadorial appointments.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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