US Revokes Brazil Ambassador's Visa: Why Trump Made the Surprise Move
- The Trump administration revoked the visa of Brazil's Ambassador to the US, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, citing a diplomatic standoff
- The State Department called the move a reciprocal action over Brazil's delay in approving the US nominee for ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Perez
- Brazil's government rejected both justifications offered by Washington, calling the decision part of a deliberate escalation of hostile measures
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The Trump administration has revoked the visa of Brazil's Ambassador to the United States, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, in a move that deepens an already strained relationship between Washington and Brasília.
A senior State Department official said the revocation was a "reciprocal action" tied to what Washington described as Brazil's deliberate delay in granting diplomatic approval, known as agrément, to the US nominee for ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Perez.
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The official added that the decision also reflects "several other diplomatic disputes that have developed over the last year or so," including Brazil's refusal to grant visas to certain US officials, CNN reports.
Despite the revocation, the State Department stopped short of declaring Viotti persona non grata, with officials clarifying that cancelling her visa "is not the same thing as kicking the person out of the country."
However, a second official noted that should Viotti depart the US, she would be required to reapply for a visa before returning. Washington said her visa would be restored immediately if agrément were granted to Perez.
Brazil Rejects US Justification
The Brazilian government swiftly pushed back, saying it "repudiates the decision announced today by the US Department of State to alter the visa of Brazil's Ambassador in Washington," and insisted that "both justifications offered for the decision are false."
A statement from the Brazilian presidency described the move as part of "a deliberate escalation of hostile measures against Brazil, driven by ideological motives that are incompatible with a bilateral partnership that has always been guided by mutual respect."
Brazil also accused the US officials whose visas it refused of planning to visit the country "to cast doubt on the integrity of Brazil's electoral system." The State Department rejected that characterisation, describing the planned trip as "routine," and said the US "respects the Brazilian people in whatever government that they choose freely through free and fair elections."
Election Politics in the Background
The dispute unfolds ahead of Brazil's October elections, where sitting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to face Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Flávio met with members of the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump, earlier this year.
Brazilian officials have indicated they are unlikely to approve Perez's nomination before the elections, which would delay him from taking up his post even if confirmed by the US Senate. Perez's nomination was sent to the Senate on June 1 and cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in late July.
He is the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and a close ally of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Brazil argued that the US "publicly announced the name of its nominee before formally submitting its request for agrément," and noted that "there is no time limit for granting agrément," adding that the request "remains under review."
A State Department official did not rule out further reciprocal actions but said the immediate focus was on securing a "prompt and positive answer" to the agrément request.
Source: Legit.ng
