The U.S. State Department said it would suspend consular services in Brazil starting Friday, citing “security concerns” just two days before national elections in the country.
The announcement, published first on Thursday, warns U.S. citizens seeking emergency assistance not to come to the U.S. Embassy or any other diplomatic facilities. It also urged citizens to reach out to their appropriate duty officer if in need of emergency assistance.
The alert did not specify what security concerns led to the decision to pause consular services temporarily.
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A State Department spokesperson told The Washington Times that the safety of Americans is its top priority and that it is working with its Brazilian counterparts to address security issues, without clarifying what those issues are.
The announcement comes just days before the first round of Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday. The outcome of the close race is likely to set the tone for U.S.-Brazilian relations for the rest of President Trump’s term.
Thus far, diplomatic relations between the Trump administration and the government of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil have been strained. Over the summer, Brazil blocked a U.S. delegation from traveling to the country, and the State Department in turn revoked the visa of Brazil’s top diplomat in the U.S., Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.
The two administrations have also clashed over tariffs. Mr. Trump in July said he would impose a 25% tariff on Brazil for adopting unfair trade practices against the U.S. The tariffs applied to a wide range of Brazilian products such as ethanol, oil and gas, oranges and aircraft components.
Those spats have stymied bilateral law enforcement efforts to combat transnational crimes, according to reports. The State Department is withholding visas for two Brazilian agents on assignment in the U.S., where they were expected to work with the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Brazil, in response, blocked the visa of a U.S. law enforcement officer stationed in the country.
Mr. Lula’s opponent, Flavio Bolsonaro, has been painted as a would-be ally of Mr. Trump if he wins the Sunday election. But Mr. Trump has not officially endorsed any candidate in the contest. Mr. Bolsonaro is the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is now serving time in his country for plotting a coup against Mr. Lula.
Mr. Trump met briefly with the younger Bolsonaro in May in the White House. After the meeting, Mr. Trump called him a “smart young man who loves his country, Brazil,” but the president stopped short of an official endorsement.
In polling released late last month by UOL, Mr. Lula leads the race with approximately 40% of the vote while Mr. Bolsonaro is just behind him with approximately 35%. Most polls have Mr. Lula winning, though his lead has remained in the single digits during the campaign.
If Mr. Bolsonaro can eke out a victory this weekend, he would join a growing cadre of right-wing presidents who have won elections in South America over the past two years.
Most recently, Abelardo de la Espriella was elected president of Colombia in August, after winning a close runoff election in June. He ran his campaign promising a tough-on-crime and business-friendly administration.
Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador have also seen right-wing election victories where candidates promised more funding for police programs and border militarization.
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