Brazil denied visas to two United States officials who intended to meet with electoral authorities less than three months before the presidential elections due to "risk of political exploitation," a Brazilian diplomatic source told AFP.

The refusal adds a new chapter to the tensions between the governments of Donald Trump and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who will seek re-election in October against Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), imprisoned for coup plotting.

On July 20, the United States requested visas for the two officials, who would travel on a mission to discuss issues of “freedom of expression related to the elections” with electoral authorities, according to the Brazilian source.

But “it was striking” that the permit was requested almost simultaneously with a private meeting on Tuesday between Flávio Bolsonaro and foreign diplomats, in which the right-wing candidate questioned the reliability of the Brazilian electronic voting system.

He did so with arguments similar to those that in 2023 led to the political disqualification of his father, later also convicted of an attempted coup d'état.

Given this scenario, the Brazilian consulate denied visas to the US officials, the source explained.

A State Department spokesperson told AFP that the two officials wanted to visit Brasilia between July 27 and 30 “to discuss electoral integrity, religious freedom and freedom of expression” with “government officials, religious leaders and members of civil society.”

“Getting involved in the Brazilian elections”

“Any suggestion of a ‘maneuver’ to undermine the elections of a democratic nation is a baseless lie” since it would be a “routine visit,” he added.

Without directly alluding to the episode, Lula warned this Saturday at an event in Sao Paulo that "whoever wants to come from outside to get involved in the Brazilian elections, I'm already warning you: you're going to take a lot of hits."

The Trump administration imposed two rounds of trade tariffs on Brazilian products this month, adding to other sanctions against the South American power implemented by Washington since last year.

Lula accuses Flávio Bolsonaro of being a “traitor to the country” who would have encouraged the high American tariff, something he denies.

An ally of Jair Bolsonaro during his presidency, Trump has supported right-wing candidates in recent elections in other Latin American countries such as Argentina, Colombia and Honduras.

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