Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has confirmed that his government denied visas to two US officials, accusing them of attempting to interfere in the country's October general election, Reuters reported
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Speaking at an event on Wednesday, Lula said the officials had planned to travel to Brazil to influence the electoral process. The news agency had previously reported, citing two Brazilian officials, that the visa applications were rejected because authorities believed the visitors intended to cast doubt on the credibility of Brazil's voting system.
"This week we had to deny visas to two young folks they were sending to Brazil to meddle in Brazil's elections," Lula said.
US rejects allegations
The US State Department has denied the accusation, saying the proposed visit was part of its regular diplomatic work.
A State Department spokesperson described suggestions that the trip was intended to undermine Brazil's election as "baseless" and said the visit was consistent with the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor's statutory mandate.
The two officials, identified earlier by Brazil's foreign ministry as Riley M. Barnes and Samuel Samson, had planned to visit Brasília for meetings with government officials, religious leaders and civil society groups.
Upcoming elections
Brazil will hold presidential elections in October, with Lula expected to face Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of US President Donald Trump.
The visa dispute comes as relations between Brasilia and Washington remain strained. The Trump administration recently imposed higher tariffs on thousands of Brazilian exports, a move the Brazilian government has criticised.
