Brazil denies visas to two US officials ahead of election — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Brazil’s Foreign Ministry has rejected visa applications from two US State Department officials who planned to visit the country, media reports said on Sunday. The Associated Press, citing a report by The Washington Post, said Brazilian authorities believed the officials — Assistant Secretary Riley M. Barnes and Deputy Assistant Secretary Samuel Samson — intended to question the credibility of Brazil’s presidential election scheduled for October. A spokesperson for Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said Barnes and Samson applied for visas on July 20, but their applications were rejected on Friday. The official did not provide a reason for the decision. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is expected to seek re-election against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, whose family maintains close ties with the Trump administration. The US State Department said the two officials were scheduled to visit Brazil from July 27 to 30 to meet government officials, religious leaders and civil society representatives to discuss electoral integrity, religious freedom and freedom of expression. The department rejected allegations that the visit was aimed at interfering in Brazil’s election, saying it was part of routine diplomatic engagement.