The Brazilian Health Minister announced that he would not participate in the UN General Assembly next week in New York because the US government has given him an “unacceptable visa” with limited movement in the country, AP reported.
Alexandre Padilha, one of President Luiza’s closest collaborators, Lulu Da Silva, said in Friday’s statement that he would remain in Brazil for “unfounded and arbitrary restrictions on the US government against Brazil’s diplomatic activity”.
Relations between the US and Brazil are tense from the moment President Donald Trump has imposed a 50 % duties for Brazilian exports in connection with the trial of former President Jaira Bolson, whose Brazilian Supreme Court recently sentenced to 27 years in prison for a coup attempt.
Visas limit movement
Two Brazilian government sources for AP confirmed that the Cabinet of President Lulu had submitted a protest at the UN after Padilha received a US visa with a significant delay. The visa allowed him to move only at the UN headquarters and in several blocks around the hotel.
In addition, the Brazilian government addressed a letter to the UN Secretary -General Antónia Guterres, which expressed concern that Trump’s administration could refuse, cancel or limit visas to other representatives planning to participate in the General Assembly.
According to Brazil, the US steps violate Article 105 of the UN Charter and the Convention on Privileges and Immunities, which guarantees unlimited movement and visa -free entry for government officials to the UN.
They canceled the visa and his family
The UN letter also states that the UN 43/48 resolution provides for the host country’s legal obligation to ensure unlimited access for all delegations, regardless of their political beliefs. Neither the UN nor the US government have yet responded at the request of AP.
Padilha was originally supposed to travel to Washington for further negotiations. His American visas expired in August. In June, his wife and ten -year -old daughter as part of Trump’s restrictions on Cuban and foreign representatives involved in Cuban medical missions were also canceled.
In an interview with Globonews, Padilha said that Brazil’s international activities will continue. “They can prevent the Minister’s participation, but not the defense of science and vaccines. This US President will not stop it,” he said.
