WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Trump administration has revoked the visa of Brazil鈥檚 ambassador to the United States in retaliation for Brazil鈥檚 denial of visas last month for two American diplomats who sought to visit the country ahead of upcoming elections as well as Brazil鈥檚 stalling on approving President Donald Trump鈥檚 nominee to be ambassador in Brasilia.
The State Department said the decision was a reciprocal response to Brazil鈥檚 actions and officials said the step had been delayed several times to give Brazilian President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva room to back down, something he did not do. Officials said, however, that it could be quickly reversed if Brazil takes appropriate action and accepts Trump鈥檚 ambassadorial choice.
鈥淩eciprocity is the name of the game,鈥� one State Department official said.
Despite the revocation of her visa, Brazil鈥檚 ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti is not being expelled from the United States, said the official, who like the others, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic matter. She could be allowed to resume her official duties if the Brazilian government accepts Trump鈥檚 choice of former Florida House speaker Danny Perez to be U.S. ambassador to Brazil. The official said indications are that Brazil will not do that until after the October election.
In addition to stalling on Perez, Brazil denied visas last month for Riley Barnes, the assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, and one if his top aides after reports emerged that the pair were going to criticize Lula or the election process.
The State Department denied the allegations and said the two had planned to go to Brasilia on July 27-30 to meet government officials, religious leaders and others about 鈥渆lection integrity,鈥� religious freedom and freedom of expression.
It said the visit was routine and that 鈥渁ny insinuation of a 鈥榩loy鈥� to undermine a democratic nation鈥檚 election is a baseless lie.鈥�
Lula will face , whose father once served as Brazil鈥檚 president and whose family has many ties with the Trump administration, in the Oct. 4 polls. The administration has numerous issues with the leftist Lula and his policies and has also hosted the younger Bolsonaro, who is seeking to carry on his father’s, Jair鈥檚, conservative governance.
Sen. Bolsonaro and his brother, Eduardo, visited U.S. officials in Washington, including Trump, in late May. Shortly afterward, the Trump administration classified Brazil鈥檚 biggest drug-trafficking groups 鈥� 鈥� as foreign terrorist organizations, a move Lula opposes.
The Trump administration also imposed an up to on thousands of Brazilian exports, which came into force Friday. The U.S. government claims the South American nation has unfair competition practices and fails to stop forced labor practices 鈥� both accusations rejected by the Lula administration as an attempt to
Jair Bolsonaro has for years about the country鈥檚 electronic voting system, without providing any evidence for his claims. He is now serving a 27-year prison sentence at home for an attempted coup. He has long insisted that the machines, used for a quarter-century, are prone to fraud.
His son, Sen. Bolsonaro, has recently repeated some of these claims, although he steered clear of those on Saturday when his Liberal Party confirmed him as a
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