The Brazilian government condemned the revocation of the visa of its ambassador to the United States, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, announced on Tuesday (Aug. 4). The US government justified the measure by citing Brazil’s delay in granting agrément to the Trump administration’s nominee to head the US Embassy in Brazil.

Brazil refuted the allegations, stating they were false.

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“The Brazilian government condemns the decision announced today by the US State Department to change the visa status of Brazil’s ambassador in Washington. Both justifications are false.”

In a statement released by the government’s Communications Secretariat, Brazil asserted that the US violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations by disclosing the name of its nominee to head the US Embassy in Brazil. According to the government, the nominee’s name could only be made public after the host country had granted agrément.

The US request, the statement adds, is still under review, and “the Vienna Convention does not stipulate a deadline for granting agrément.”

“Hostile measures”

The Brazilian government also cited the denial of entry to two US government officials, saying the measure was justified because the purpose of their visit was to cast doubt on Brazil’s electoral system.

“It is also obvious that there is an unwarranted interest in interfering in the upcoming presidential election.”

The statement asserts that the revocation of the ambassador’s visa is part of a “deliberate escalation of hostile measures” against Brazil.

“This decision is not an isolated incident. It is part of a deliberate escalation of hostile measures against Brazil, motivated by ideological considerations incompatible with a bilateral partnership that has always been guided by mutual respect.”

The Planalto presidential palace noted that Brazilian officials, including government officials and justices of the Supreme Court, remain subject to sanctions under the Magnitsky Act, imposed by the US government in retaliation for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction for attempting a coup d’état. It also emphasized that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been working to foster understanding between the two countries.

“The Brazilian government has spared no effort to resolve these differences. During his visit to Washington last May, President Lula himself asked President Trump, among other things, to lift the individual sanctions.”

The Brazilian government argued before the World Trade Organization (WTO) that the tariffs imposed by the United States are “inconsistent” with WTO rules. Brazil submitted the document to the organization last Monday (July 27), but it was not made public until Thursday (Jul. 30).

“The measures in question [taken by the US] appear to be inconsistent with the US’s obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994,” Brazil stated. The agreement sets out the rules governing the imposition of tariffs by WTO members.

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Brazil also asserts that it is being treated less favorably by the US in trade relations compared with other WTO members:

“By imposing tariffs on products originating in Brazil under Section 301, while not imposing such tariffs on other WTO members, the US has failed to accord products originating in Brazil the advantages, favors, privileges, or immunities granted to products originating in other WTO members.”

The Brazilian government presented its arguments in a request for consultations with the United States under the WTO dispute settlement system. The document outlines the dispute, including US allegations of discriminatory treatment by Brazil.

The request for consultations represents the first formal stage of the WTO’s dispute settlement system. At this stage, countries seek to negotiate a resolution before a panel may be established to review the case.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the initiative seeks to challenge whether US tariff measures comply with multilateral trade rules.

Tariffs

One of the measures challenged at the WTO stems from a specific investigation into Brazil that resulted in the imposition of an additional 25 percent tariff on Brazilian products. In the proceedings, the United States examined issues such as digital trade and electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, the enforcement of anti-corruption legislation, intellectual property protection, access to the ethanol market, and efforts to combat illegal deforestation.

The second measure resulted from an investigation involving 60 countries and imposed an additional 12.5 percent tariff on Brazilian products. In this case, the investigation focused on whether restrictions were in place and enforced on the import of goods produced, in whole or in part, using forced labor.

The Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) has officially endorsed Lula da Silva’s reelection bid and vice-President Geraldo Alckmin’s candidacy for reelection as Lula’s running mate.

Alckmin joined the PSB in March 2022 and shortly thereafter joined Lula’s ticket for that year’s elections.

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The PSB-PT coalition was officially unveiled on Wednesday evening (Jul. 29) in Brasília. Lula’s candidacy will not be officially confirmed until next Sunday (Aug. 2) at the Workers’ Party (PT) national convention.

Geraldo José Rodrigues Alckmin Filho is a physician specializing in anesthesiology and a university professor. He served as mayor of Pindamonhangaba (1977–1982), state representative (1983–1987), and federal representative (1987–1995), always representing São Paulo. He served as governor of São Paulo from 2003 to 2006, after serving as former Governor Mário Covas’s deputy from 1995 to 2001.

He ran for President of Brazil in 2006 and 2018. In 2022, he joined the PSB and was elected vice-president of Brazil on a ticket with Lula.

The governments of Brazil and South Korea announced the creation of a working group aimed at advancing talks between South Korea and Mercosur – the economic bloc comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, as well as other associate countries.

“We have decided to create a working group that will identify sensitivities on both sides and prevent them from becoming an obstacle to the resumption of negotiations on a Mercosur agreement with South Korea,” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told the press Monday (Jul. 27), after welcoming South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung at the Alvorada presidential palace.

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The group will be coordinated by vice-President Geraldo Alckmin, Lula reported.

The South Korean president also highlighted the possibility of an agreement with Mercosur. In his view, the agreement will be beneficial both for his country’s industry and for Brazil in the Asian market as a whole.

The Asian leader cited “trade uncertainties” when discussing the agreement. Currently, Brazil is experiencing trade tensions with the US—one of its largest trading partners—due to tariffs imposed by the North American country. In this context, Jae-Myung stated that the partnership between Brazil and South Korea is urgent.

“At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the trade arena, the agreement between Brazil and Korea can no longer wait. It is needed now. We believe that the agreement between Mercosur and Korea will provide Korean companies with a greater opportunity to enter the South American market and bring a new perspective to the Asian market for Brazil, via Korea.”

The two countries signed trade deals in various areas, such as defense, education, and energy. Lula and Jae-Myung discussed critical minerals, and the South Korean president highlighted Brazil’s supply of this resource.

“As is well known, Brazil is one of the leading holders of critical minerals. And today, President Lula and I agreed to expand cooperation across the entire life cycle of critical minerals within the supply chain for these minerals. Through this agreement, we will create a stable supply base, strengthening mutual cooperation in a beneficial way.”

The South Korean president will also travel to São Paulo, where he is scheduled to visit a metalworkers’ union. Brazil is the country in Latin America that hosts the largest number of Koreans. And São Paulo is home to the largest Korean community in the country, with more than 50,000 people.

Further pacts

An accord was also signed to facilitate the exchange of experiences in educational policies and to foster closer ties between educational institutions in both countries.

In addition, Brazil and South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding to establish cooperation between agencies for the exploration and undertaking of peaceful space activities.

In science and technology, an agreement was signed to promote cooperation in research, development, and innovation applied to the industrial sector.

In the area of sports, an agreement was signed to facilitate exchanges between athletes and experts, as well as to share experiences in public policy.

Sovereignty and Peace

In their statements, both heads of state expressed support for the peaceful resolution of conflicts. While Lula spoke of defending democracy in the face of attacks by extremists, Jae-Myung emphasized the importance of establishing peace.

“We have both known how to defend our democracies against attacks by extremist groups. We will continue to build a world governed by dialogue, respect among nations, and the strengthening of multilateralism,” Lula declared.

“I reiterate the Korean government’s strong belief that peace is essential for our security – without the need for conflict or war. And President Lula agrees with us on this point,” the South Korean leader stated.

The US newspaper The Washington Post published an op-ed on Sunday (Jul. 26) by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticizing the US government’s tariff measures against Brazil. In the article, Lula challenged the arguments used to justify the tariffs, argued that such measures would also harm the US economy, and stated that “Brazil will not be defeated based on lies.”

The president also argued that Trump’s decision had an ideological component, claiming that it was intended to interfere in Brazilian politics and this year’s elections. The article was also shared on the president’s social media channels.

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“Attempts to impose ideological constraints on the bilateral partnership, or to instrumentalize it for electoral purposes, are unfounded. Never before has a US Secretary of State labeled Brazil an unfriendly country. No one will defeat us based on lies,” said Lula.

The Brazilian president was referring to remarks by Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State who, in early June, excluded Brazil from the list of US-friendly countries in Latin America.

In the article, Lula reiterated the argument the Brazilian government has made since the tariffs were announced in April 2025: that the US maintains a trade surplus with Brazil. He added that Brazil would seek new trading partners around the world.

“In the medium term, these tariffs will disrupt highly integrated production chains, and Brazilian companies will replace US suppliers with other partners,” the president emphasized.

“Strategic error”

On July 15, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) imposed a 25 percent surcharge on various Brazilian products.

The tariffs affected exports of iron and steel, apparel, footwear, sugar, ethanol, pharmaceuticals, agricultural machinery, non-aviation electrical machinery, and other manufactured goods.

The USTR justified the tariffs by arguing that certain Brazilian practices were unreasonable and burdened or restricted trade for US farmers, workers, innovators, and exporters. In his Washington Post op-ed, Lula countered the USTR’s position:

“Beyond being unfair, the new tariffs are a strategic error: they harm the US economy and the partnership with Brazil. Various US industrial sectors rely on Brazilian inputs. Food, footwear, textiles, furniture, auto parts, and many other products will reach US consumers at higher prices.”

Lula also defended Brazil’s efforts to combat deforestation, its legislation addressing crimes committed on social media, and Pix - the instant payment system used in Brazil. All of these issues had been criticized by the US government in recent months.

“We respect the sovereignty of other states and negotiate with all those who respect ours. Reciprocity is the foundation of every relationship between nations, and we have appropriate mechanisms to guarantee it,” the president concluded, reaffirming Brazil’s openness to dialogue.

Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned its ambassador to Buenos Aires, Julio Bitelli, for consultations after Argentine President Javier Milei made remarks targeting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

On Saturday (Jul. 25), Milei attended the Liberal Party (PL) convention in São Paulo, where Flávio Bolsonaro was officially nominated as the party’s presidential candidate.

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Milei’s speech included repeated attacks on his Brazilian counterpart, whom he criticized on more than one occasion. At one point, he referred to the Brazilian president as a “convict.”

Milei also targeted Alexandre de Moraes, a justice on Brazil’s Supreme Court, whom he called “bald trash” for not authorizing a visit to Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest.

In diplomacy, recalling an ambassador for consultations is a sign of discontent, marking a moment of tension and seriousness between two countries.

Civility

Supreme Court President Edson Fachin issued an official statement on Saturday (25) describing Argentine President Javier Milei’s remarks about Justice Alexandre de Moraes as a “disrespectful reference.”

“While reaffirming the full autonomy of the Brazilian Judiciary, the Supreme Court presidency deplores statements incompatible with the civility that should characterize relations between states,” Fachin said in the statement.