Brazil’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that two US officials were denied visas ahead of a planned trip to the country. Assistant Secretary Riley M. Barnes and Deputy Assistant Secretary Samuel Samson were to travel to Brazil to discuss election integrity, religious freedom, and freedom of expression with government leaders and members of civil society.

Election Integrity Concerns

The denial of visas comes amid concerns over the integrity of Brazil’s electoral system ahead of the October presidential election. Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, has renewed criticism of the country’s electoral system and urged foreign governments to send observers to monitor the elections.

The State Department stated that the trip was to discuss election integrity, religious freedom, and freedom of expression, and called accusations of undermining the election a ‘baseless lie’. Brazil’s Foreign Ministry did not provide a reason for the visa denials, but an unnamed Brazilian official told Reuters that the denial was based on ‘evidence pointing to a renewed attempt to politically exploit the situation and undermine the electoral system’.

US-Brazil Relations

The incident has strained relations between the US and Brazil. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on some imports from Brazil, which Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called ‘unfair’. The two countries have also been at odds over issues such as trade and election interference.

Original reporting: Las Cruces Sun News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.