Washington, Aug. 5 (ANI): The Trump administration has revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, escalating diplomatic tensions between Washington and Brasília, CNN reported, citing U.S. officials and statements from the Brazilian government.
According to CNN, the U.S. State Department did not designate Viotti as persona non grata, and a senior State Department official said the visa revocation was not equivalent to expelling the ambassador from the country.
“The cancellation of her visa is not the same thing as kicking the person out of the country,” the official said, according to CNN.
The official described the move as a “reciprocal action” in response to Brazil’s delay in granting diplomatic approval, known as agrément, for the U.S. nominee for ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Perez.
The State Department official said the decision also followed several other diplomatic disagreements between the two countries over the past year, including Brazil’s refusal to grant visas to certain U.S. officials.
The official said Viotti’s visa would be restored immediately if Brazil grants agrément to Perez. However, it remains unclear how the visa revocation will affect Viotti’s position as ambassador, CNN reported.
Another senior State Department official said that if Viotti leaves the United States, she would need to apply for a new visa.
The Brazilian government criticized the decision, saying it “repudiates the decision announced today by the U.S. Department of State to alter the visa of Brazil’s ambassador in Washington,” and rejected the reasons provided by Washington, CNN reported.
“Both justifications offered for the decision are false,” the Brazilian government said in a statement.
Brazil’s presidency said the move was part of broader pressure from Washington.
“Today’s decision is not an isolated incident. It forms 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,” the statement said, according to CNN.
The visa revocation comes ahead of Brazil’s October presidential election, in which incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is expected to face Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Flávio Bolsonaro met with members of the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump, earlier this year.
The dispute also follows Brazil’s recent refusal to grant visas to two U.S. State Department officials.
Lula said the decision was linked to concerns over possible election interference.
Brazil’s presidency accused the U.S. officials of planning to visit the country “to cast doubt on the integrity of Brazil’s electoral system.”
A senior State Department official rejected the allegation, describing the planned visit as a “routine trip,” CNN reported. (ANI)
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