Image: from Brasil Alternativo X @bralternativo_
By Open Chronicle with Agencies
BRASÍLIA — The Brazilian government has intensified its diplomatic standoff with Washington by revoking the visa of Darren Beattie, a senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump. Beattie had planned to visit imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, but the move was blocked in what President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described as a “reciprocal” measure.
Speaking at an event in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, Lula personally confirmed the ban, linking it directly to the U.S. State Department’s refusal to grant a visa to Brazil’s Health Minister, Alexandre Padilha.
“I forbade him from coming to Brazil until they release the visa for my health minister,” Lula declared. “That American guy who said he was coming here to visit Jair Bolsonaro was prohibited from visiting.”
The dispute marks a new low in relations between the two largest economies in the Western Hemisphere. The Trump administration has been a vocal supporter of Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year sentence for his role in an alleged January 2023 coup attempt. In contrast, Washington’s denial of a visa for Minister Padilha was reportedly based on his past involvement in a Cuban medical program—a point of contention for U.S. officials concerned with Cuban regional influence.
Brazilian authorities further justified the move by accusing Beattie of “omissions and lies” regarding his visit. While Beattie claimed to be attending a minerals forum, Brazilian intelligence concluded his true purpose was political interference. Beattie, a strategist recently appointed to oversee Brazil policy for the Trump administration, has previously labeled Lula’s government “corrosive” and criticized the Brazilian Supreme Court.
The timing of the visa revocation is particularly sensitive. Former President Bolsonaro, 70, was rushed to the DF Star Hospital in Brasília on Friday morning. Medical officials confirmed he is being treated in intensive care for bilateral bacterial bronchopneumonia, suffering from high fever and low oxygen levels.
With Brazil’s 2026 presidential election looming, the rivalry between Lula and the Bolsonaro family remains the central axis of the country’s politics. As Washington continues to apply pressure for Bolsonaro’s release, including previous threats of tariffs and sanctions against Brazilian judges, the “visa war” suggests that neither Brasília nor Washington is ready to back down.