Brazil Denies Visas to 2 US State Department Officials Ahead of Election

Staff members of the Amazonas Regional Electoral Court test electronic voting machines in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, on July 8, 2026. Michael Dantas/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Brazilian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it denied visas to two U.S. State Department officials who had sought to travel to the South American nation on Monday.Assistant Secretary of State Riley M. Barnes and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Samuel Samson applied for visas on July 20. The visas were denied Friday, though the ministry did not give a reason for the decision.Brazil’s presidential election will be held in October. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is seeking reelection against Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest following his conviction related to an attempted coup.A Brazilian official told Reuters the administration believed the two U.S. diplomats were coming over in an effort to influence the presidential election.There was “evidence pointing to ​a renewed attempt to politically exploit the situation and undermine the electoral system” the official said.On May 26, Trump met Flávio Bolsonaro in the Oval Office at the White House.“It was very nice having Flávio Bolsonaro in the Oval Office of the White House—A smart young man who loves his Country, Brazil, very much!” Trump said in a June 2 post on Truth Social. On June 23, Trump posted a news article reporting on Abelardo de la Espriella’s victory in the presidential election in Columbia.“Trump Scores 8 Triumphs in 7 Years Across Latin America,” Trump posted on Truth Social on June 23.A State Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times that Barnes and Samson were to visit Brasilia, Brazil, from July 27 to July 30 to meet with government officials, religious leaders, and members of civil society to discuss election integrity, religious freedom, and freedom of expression.“Any insinuation of a ‘ploy’ to undermine a democratic nation’s election is a baseless lie,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “This was a routine visit consistent with [the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor’s] statutory mandate.”The visa dispute comes amid broader tensions between the United States and Brazil.Earlier this month, the Trump administration imposed a 25 percent tariff on some Brazilian imports after determining that certain Brazilian trade policies unfairly burden U.S. commerce.U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said negotiations with Lula da Silva’s government had failed to resolve the concerns, though the administration remained open to further talks. Brazil rejected the tariffs, saying there was “no justification” for the measures and vowing to challenge them through the World Trade Organization.Reuters contributed to this report.