WASHINGTON: The United States suspended consular services at its embassy and consulates in Brazil on Friday over unspecified security concerns days before the country’s presidential election, and Australia said it had closed its embassy in Brasilia after the US alert.

The State Department did not elaborate on the security issues or link them to Sunday’s election, which has been marked by tensions over alleged foreign interference and strains between Washington and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government.

“We are working closely with our Brazilian counterparts to address the security concerns,” a department spokesperson said in an email.

The department did not say when the consular services would resume.

“Consular services in the US Embassy and consulates in Brazil will be suspended starting Friday, October 2, due to security concerns,” it said in a statement.

“US citizens seeking emergency assistance during this time should not come to the Embassy, the consulates, or other US diplomatic facilities.”

Brazil’s foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The State Department made the announcement at a tense moment for US-Brazil relations.

Brazilians will vote for president on Sunday in a race that will determine whether Latin America’s largest nation follows the conservative shift that US President Donald Trump has often cheered on from Washington. Lula and his allies have warned of foreign interference in the election.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2026