Brazil denies visas to two US State Department officials

Brazilian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it had denied visas to two US State Department officials who sought to travel to the South American nation next week.

A US State Department spokesperson said Assistant Secretary Riley M. Barnes from the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and Samuel Samson, a deputy assistant secretary, would visit Brasília from July 27 to July 30 to meet with government officials, religious leaders and civil society representatives to discuss election integrity, religious freedom and freedom of expression.

However, Brazil rejected the visa applications of the two US officials, accusing them of planning to impugn the fairness and integrity of Brazil's electoral system ahead of its presidential election this fall.

(With input from Reuters)