US revokes Brazilian ambassador's visa as diplomatic rift deepens

The administration of US President Donald Trump has temporarily revoked the visa of Brazilian Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, marking the latest escalation in a growing diplomatic dispute between Washington and Brasília.

A US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity on Tuesday (August 4), said the ambassador would not be required to leave the United States despite the visa revocation and would be allowed to continue performing her diplomatic duties.

According to the official, the move was taken in response to Brazil's refusal to approve Washington's nominee for US ambassador. The United States indicated that Ambassador Viotti's visa would be reinstated once Brazil grants agrément to the American nominee.

"The objective is to restore diplomatic reciprocity between the two countries," the official said.

The dispute centres on Danny Perez, a Republican lawmaker from Florida and a close ally of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom President Trump nominated as the next US ambassador to Brazil. Although his nomination was announced in June, Perez has yet to receive final confirmation from the US Senate.

Brazilian officials argue that Trump's public announcement of the nomination came before the completion of normal diplomatic procedures, describing the move as a breach of diplomatic protocol. Brasília has said it will not approve the appointment until its review process is complete.

Relations between the two countries had already deteriorated last month after Brazil declined to issue visas to officials from the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, citing concerns that the delegation could seek to influence the country's presidential election scheduled for October.

The latest reciprocal measures are expected to deepen tensions between Washington and Brasília, raising fresh questions about the future of bilateral diplomatic engagement.