Brazil denies visas to Riley M. Barnes and Samuel Samson as the administration officials prepare to discuss election integrity.
Brazil has denied visas to Riley M. Barnes and Samuel Samson, two officials from the US State Department who sought to visit the country to meet with electoral authorities. The administration announced that the two envoys planned to travel to Brasilia from July 27 to 30 to discuss religious freedom, freedom of expression, and election integrity. The visa denial follows reports that Brazil viewed the visit as a political ploy to undermine its upcoming October presidential election. While the State Department described the trip as a routine visit, Brazilian officials suggested the move was an attempt to politically exploit the electoral system. The visit is significant as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva seeks reelection against Flavio Bolsonaro. The Bolsonaro family maintains close ties with the Trump administration, which recently classified Brazil’s largest drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Additionally, the administration imposed a tariff hike on Brazilian exports, which the Lula administration claims is an attempt to sway the election in favor of Flavio Bolsonaro.