Brazil revokes visa for Trump adviser visiting imprisoned President Bolsonaro

Brazil Revokes Visa of US Far-Right Adviser Darren Beattie

The government of Brazil has revoked the visa of Darren Beattie, a far-right adviser to US President Donald Trump who had planned to visit ex-President Jair Bolsonaro in his prison cell in Brasilia. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva confirmed on Friday that Beattie’s visa has been pulled.

According to Lula, the decision was made due to Beattie’s alleged misrepresentation of the purpose of his visit on his visa request. The president equated this move to the US revoking visas from Brazilian officials in Washington, DC, citing the case of Brazilian Health Minister Alexandre Padilha, whose US visa was revoked last year.

Separately, Brazilian officials have stated that Beattie had lied about the nature of his visit. Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence for his role in a coup plot after Brazil’s 2022 election.

The revocation of Beattie’s visa marks a continuation of tensions between the Brazilian and US governments, despite recent warming relations between Trump and Lula. In August, Trump imposed heavy tariffs on Brazil, citing concerns over Bolsonaro’s prosecution. However, relations between the two leaders have improved since Trump met with Lula at the UN General Assembly in September and ASEAN summit in October.

Lula has also reached out to Trump via telephone to ease cumulative 50-percent tariffs on certain Brazilian products. In November, Trump issued an executive order modifying the scope of tariffs on Brazilian exports such as beef and coffee.

The decision comes ahead of Brazil’s new presidential election in October, where Lula is facing off against Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Flavio. Lawyers for imprisoned Bolsonaro had requested a visitation from Beattie earlier this week, but the request was rejected by the Brazilian Supreme Court on Thursday.

Source: Al Jazeera