Brazil’s Lula calls for respect for country’s electoral process amid US visa row

Sinan Dogan

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned Wednesday that his country would not accept foreign interference in its Oct. 4 general election while strongly condemning Washington’s decision to revoke the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States.

Speaking in an interview with the Brazilian digital media platform Meteoro Brasil, Lula criticized the action against Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.

“We want to be treated with respect,” Lula said, calling the US move “irresponsible and reckless.”

“No one should think they can interfere from the outside to influence our elections. If they want to do that in another country, let them. Here in Brazil, they won’t,” he said.

Lula also announced that he would not receive any foreign ambassadors until after the election.

“Only after the election will I receive an ambassador from any country in the world,” he said.

Defending Brazil’s electoral system, Lula rejected criticism of the country’s electronic voting machines.

“Instead of questioning our voting machines, they should copy our system. They should ask us to bring the machines so they can hold an electronic election, so they can see we are at the forefront of electoral modernity,” he said.

The comments came after the US revoked Viotti’s visa, citing reciprocity after Brazil denied visas last month to two US diplomats and delayed consideration of US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Brazil until after the October election.

The US has denied allegations that the diplomats intended to interfere in Brazil’s elections, saying their planned visit was focused on election integrity, religious freedom and freedom of expression.