Brazil's health minister skips trip to UN assembly due to visa limitations from Trump administration

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SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's health minister said on Friday he will not attend the United Nations' General Assembly in New York next week because the United States government gave him “an unacceptable visa” with mobility restrictions within the country.

Alexandre Padilha, one of the closest aides to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said in a statement he will stay in Brazil due to “unfounded and arbitrary limitations to Brazil's diplomatic exercise" from the U.S. government.

The two countries have been at odds since President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian exports in connection with the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison by the country’s Supreme Court for leading a coup attempt.

Earlier, two Brazilian government officials told The Associated Press the Lula administration had protested to the United Nations after Padilha received a much-delayed U.S. visa that limits his movement in New York to the U.N. headquarters and a few blocks close to his hotel.

Brazil’s government also said in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres it is concerned the Trump administration may deny, revoke or restrict visas to other officials expected to attend the assembly.

The Brazilian sources spoke under condition of anonymity due to their lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly.

Brazil argued the move by the U.S. government violates article 105 of the U.N. charter and the convention about privileges and immunities that guarantee no restrictions for immigration and movement of government officials.

The Lula administration also said in its letter to Guterres that U.N. resolution 43/48 states that the host country has a legal obligation to assure every delegation has unlimited access regardless of their political affiliations.

Neither the U.N. nor the U.S. government responded a request for comment from the AP.

Padilha was initially scheduled to travel to Washington for other meetings. His U.S. visa expired in August. In June, his wife and 10-year-old daughter had their U.S. visas revoked in connection with Trump's decision to impose visa restrictions on Cuban and foreign government officials involved in Cuba’s medical missions.

Brazil had a program that hired thousands of Cuban doctors during the presidency of Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016), who also had Padilha as her health minister.

Speaking to TV GloboNews, Padilha said Brazil's “international activities will continue.”

“They might stop the minister from being present, but the defense of science, vaccines (will go forward),” the Brazilian health minister said. “This U.S. president will not be able to stop it."

On Sunday, Lula said in a New York Times op-ed that his government is open to negotiating anything that can bring mutual benefits, but added “Brazil’s democracy and sovereignty are not on the table.”

Lula said he was proud of the Supreme Court for its “historic decision” which safeguards Brazil’s institutions and the democratic rule of law. Bolsonaro's trial, he added, is not a “witch hunt,” as Donald Trump described it when he announced higher tariffs on Brazilian goods.

The U.S. government has also sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the Bolsonaro trial. The U.S. Treasury Department cited the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which targets perpetrators of human rights abuse and corrupt officials, as its authority to issue the sanctions.

The decision orders the freezing of any assets or property de Moraes may have in the U.S.

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