Thursday, August 6th 2026 - 22:08 UTC
Lula links that pressure to the former president's family
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva enters the final stretch toward the October 4 elections with three open diplomatic fronts and a message centered on defending national sovereignty.
The most serious comes from Washington. This week, Donald Trump's administration revoked the Brazilian ambassador's visa, citing Brasília's delay in granting approval to its own ambassadorial nominee. Lula called the measure irresponsible and unthinkable between two countries with more than two centuries of diplomatic relations, and said Brazil wants to be treated with respect. Itamaraty described it as part of a deliberate escalation and attributed to Washington an interest in interfering in the election.
Days earlier, Brazil had denied visas to two State Department envoys. The Brazilian government says they intended to join a disinformation strategy aimed at questioning the reliability of the electoral system; Washington says they sought to visit the country ahead of the vote. Neither account has been substantiated. Brasília also fears a large-scale false news campaign on social media, compounded by the use of artificial intelligence.
