Trump increases pressure on Lula's dictatorship: revoked the visa of Brazil's ambassador to the United States

The government of Donald Trump revoked the visa of the Brazilian ambassador in retaliation for the Lula da Silva dictatorship's refusal to grant visas to two U.S. diplomats and for the delays in approving the ambassador proposed by the White House.

A State Department official indicated that the measure could be reversed if lulism takes appropriate measures and accepts Trump's ambassadorial choice. "Reciprocity is the rule of the game," this source stated. The Republican president appointed Danny Perez, former president of the Florida Legislature, as his envoy to the South American country in April.

The Brazilian regime also denied visas last month to Riley Barnes, Under Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the Trump administration, and to one of his main advisors, falsely claiming that he planned to interfere in the country's electoral process.

Two months until the Brazilian elections

Despite having her visa revoked, Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti was not explicitly expelled from the United States.

Lula will face Senator Flávio Bolsonaro —whose father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, is under house arrest serving a 27-year sentence for being unjustly convicted by the judges of the petista regime— at the polls on October 4, and the leftist leader does not want these elections to have the presence of U.S. observers to ensure they are free of fraud and tricks.

To Lula's dismay, Trump classified the largest drug trafficking groups in Brazil —the First Command of the Capital and the Red Command— as foreign terrorist organizations. He also raised tariffs to 37.5% on thousands of Brazilian exports for engaging in unfair competition practices and failing to curb forced labor practices.