The United States revoked the entry visa of Brazil’s ambassador in Washington, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, on August 4 in a sharp escalation of the diplomatic standoff between the two largest economies in the Americas. The move came as retaliation for Brasilia’s weeks-long refusal to grant formal approval to Daniel Perez, President Donald Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to Brazil.
A senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stressed that Viotti had not been declared persona non grata and was not being expelled from the United States. “That is not the same thing as kicking the person out of the country,” the official said, adding that she could remain in Washington for now, though without a valid diplomatic visa.
The Brazilian government condemned the decision as part of a “deliberate escalation of hostile measures” motivated by ideological reasons. At least 16 Brazilian officials have had their US visas revoked over the past year, according to reports from Brazilian and American outlets, reflecting the depth of the rift between the two nations.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a host country must consent to an ambassador before the envoy can take up the post, and it may withhold that approval without explanation. Trump nominated Perez, a prominent Florida Republican, in early June, but while the nomination still requires US Senate confirmation, Brazil’s refusal to grant agrément has prevented him from assuming the role.
The diplomatic friction comes at a politically sensitive time in Brazil, where President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva faces a presidential election in October against right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro. Lula has accused Trump allies of seeking to interfere in Brazil’s elections, while Trump has designated Brazilian drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations, a move Lula opposes.
The dispute has broader implications for US-Brazil trade relations, which have been strained by Trump’s tariffs and Brazil’s push for greater sovereignty in its foreign policy. Both governments have signaled they are open to resolving the impasse if the other side makes concessions.
Sources: The Guardian, BBC, Rio Times Online
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