Brazil denounces US revocation of ambassador’s visa

Brazil has denounced the US decision to revoke the visa of its ambassador to Washington, rejecting the State Department’s stated reasons as “false.”

“The Brazilian Government repudiates the decision announced today by the U.S. Department of State to alter the visa of Brazil's Ambassador in Washington,” said a statement Tuesday by the Secretariat of Social Communication of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The Trump administration revoked Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti’s visa in what a State Department spokesperson described as a reciprocal response to Brazil’s denial of visas to two US officials and its delay in approving Washington’s nominee for ambassador.

“Both justifications offered for the decision are false,” said the statement.

Brazil said the process for granting agrement -- a host country’s formal acceptance of a proposed ambassador -- is confidential under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

It accused Washington of publicly announcing its nominee before formally requesting Brazil’s approval and said international law sets no deadline for granting agrement. The US request remains under review, it added.

Brazil also defended its decision to deny visas to two US officials, saying they had planned to question the integrity of the country’s electoral system ahead of the Oct. 4 presidential election.

It described the planned visit as “an unacceptable attempt to interfere in the country’s domestic political process.”

The government also criticized continuing US sanctions against Brazilian officials, including Supreme Court justices and senior executive branch members, imposed over allegations that former President Jair Bolsonaro is being politically persecuted.

President Lula da Silva asked US President Donald Trump to lift the sanctions during a visit to Washington in May, according to the statement.

Brazil accused Washington of deliberately escalating tensions for ideological reasons and seeking to interfere in the presidential election.

It nevertheless reiterated its opposition to confrontation and said it remained committed to dialogue and negotiation.evet