TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Brazil has denied visas to two officials from United States President Donald Trump's administration who had sought to travel to the country to meet with electoral authorities ahead of the October presidential election.
A spokesperson for Brazil's foreign office said on Saturday that Assistant Secretary Riley M. Barnes from the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, had requested a visa on July 20, along with Samuel Samson, a deputy assistant secretary.
The delegation's visa request was rejected on Friday, the spokesperson said.
What has Brazil said?
The Washington Post had first reported on the planned visit of the two envoys, citing senior Brazilian officials who said they had learnt of a US "ploy" that was "completely incompatible with Brazilian democracy."
The denial of the visas was based on "evidence pointing to a renewed attempt to politically exploit the situation and undermine the electoral system", news agency Reuters quoted a Brazilian official as saying.
What has Washington said?
The US State Department said later on Saturday that Barnes and Samson planned to go to the South American country's capital, Brasilia from July 27 to 30 to discuss "election integrity," religious freedom and freedom of expression with government officials, religious leaders and others.
The Associated Press quoted the department as saying that the visit was routine and "any insinuation of a 'ploy' to undermine a democratic nation's election is a baseless lie."
Brazil gears up for elections
Brazil's presidential election is slated to be held on October 4.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is seeking reelection against Flavio Bolsonaro, son of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro.
The right-wing Liberal party confirmed Flavio as their candidate for the presidential race on Saturday.
The senior Bolsonaro, Jair, is under house arrest as he serves a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after his defeat to Lula in the 2022 election.
The former Brazilian leader had also presented unsubstantiated allegations that his country's electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud.
Flavio recently repeated some of his father's claims.
Bolsonaro-Trump ties
Jair is a friend and ally of Trump and the Bolsonaro family has ties with the Trump administration.
In May, Flavio and his brother Eduardo had visited US officials in Washington, including Trump.
The Trump administration classified two of Brazil's largest drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations, in a move opposed by Lula.
Jair was dubbed "Trump of the Tropics" during his tenure.
Trump had railed against Jair's trial, deeming it a "witch hunt".
Read: Flavio Bolsonaro Gets Party Nod to Run Against Brazil's Lula
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