That action, announced by the US Department of State under the pretext that Brazil has withheld the approval for nominee Daniel Perez to head the US Embassy in Brasilia, has raised tensions between the governments of presidents Donald Trump and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to a new level.

Brazilian and US diplomats quoted by Folha de S.Paulo newspaper described the decision as “extremely serious,” “disproportionate,” and unprecedented in recent international relations.

The main issue focuses on the use of a measure against an accredited ambassador as a pressure mechanism to expedite a procedure that, by tradition, is confidential and depends exclusively on the receiving country.

Lula’s Executive also affirmed that Washington publicly announced Perez before formally consulting Brazil, a breach of diplomatic protocol that, according to Brasilia, preceded the current conflict.

The decision also came just a few days after Brazil denied visas to two US officials of the Department of State who intended to travel to the country to discuss issues related to electoral integrity, religious freedom, and freedom of speech.

Brasilia considered that this mission planned to question the integrity of the Brazilian electoral system, “in an unacceptable attempt to interfere in the national political process.”

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