Lula da Silva's dictatorship has been withholding the necessary approval for the next U.S. ambassador to take office for weeks, a move that has angered the Trump administration and deepened the crisis between the two countries.
The communist leader wants to reach the national elections in October without Daniel Perez—a Florida state legislator and close ally of Secretary Marco Rubio, who was nominated by Trump for the position in June—taking on his diplomatic role. For this reason, the petista regime is not granting the "agrément," a common diplomatic document that is part of the protocol.
In recent days, the White House has become increasingly frustrated with this issue as it interprets that Lula is intentionally delaying the nomination. If the situation is not resolved this week, Washington could take punitive measures against Brazil this Friday.
"President Trump has the right to determine who represents the people and U.S. interests around the world", stated the State Department. "President Trump is assembling a top-tier 'America First' diplomatic team throughout his administration, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. We reject any efforts by foreign countries to interfere in our internal processes," they added.
