U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira have agreed to hold bilateral talks in the coming weeks to address mounting diplomatic tensions, according to individuals familiar with the arrangement.
The friction between Washington and Brasilia intensified after U.S. President Donald Trump granted refuge to Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing candidate who lost Brazil’s recent presidential election to incumbent leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Rubio and Vieira spoke briefly in person on Friday on the sidelines of a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Atlanta, according to sources who requested anonymity because the discussion was private. The two diplomats agreed to convene for an extended meeting ahead of the December G-20 summit in Miami, an event slated to be hosted by the American president at his Trump National Doral Golf Club. The ministerial gatherings in Georgia this week serve as preparation for that upcoming summit.
Neither the U.S. State Department nor Brazil’s foreign ministry responded immediately to requests for comment on Friday night.
The diplomatic strain stems from Washington’s decision earlier in the week allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter the United States following his Sunday election defeat. The defeated candidate faces at least two active federal investigations in Brazil regarding money laundering allegations. Upon receiving a visa from the State Department, Flávio Bolsonaro announced Wednesday from the U.S. that he would spearhead the political opposition against Lula while alleging unproven electoral fraud.
President Trump defended his decision to admit the candidate by asserting that Brazil’s election was “terrible” and “rigged,” while also noting his familiarity with the candidate’s father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The elder Bolsonaro, a prominent Trump ally who governed from 2019 to 2023, is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for orchestrating a coup attempt following the 2022 election to block Lula’s inauguration. Washington previously enacted aggressive tariffs on Brazil last year in an unsuccessful bid to help the elder Bolsonaro evade imprisonment. Bilateral relations have remained volatile since that time, despite nominal progress on trade discussions.
In a parallel development, Brazilian authorities summoned Argentina’s top diplomat in the country to provide an explanation regarding Argentine President Javier Milei’s involvement in helping Flávio Bolsonaro escape Brazil. The defeated candidate crossed the border into Argentina on Tuesday night before catching a flight bound for the United States.
