The United States suspended consular services in Brazil citing security concerns, and Australia temporarily closed its embassy in Brasilia. The steps came two days before Sunday's presidential election between Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro.
The United States suspended consular services at its diplomatic missions in Brazil starting Friday, citing security concerns, Al Jazeera reported, drawing on AP and Reuters. The embassy notice told US citizens seeking emergency help not to go to the embassy, consulates or other US facilities.
Australia's ambassador to Brazil, Sophie Davies, said the Australian embassy in Brasilia would also close on Friday, citing the US alert, and advised Australians to avoid US diplomatic facilities, Al Jazeera reported. The State Department said it was working with Brazilian counterparts and that protecting Americans was the administration's priority.
The New York Times reported that Brazil's Federal District Military Police deployed personnel around the US embassy after a request from American officials. Major Raphael Broocke said there was no concrete or actual threat at that time, and that a suspicious device found near an electoral court office was determined not to be dangerous.
Al Jazeera reported that federal police carried out preventive search warrants in Sao Paulo and the Federal District in an inquiry into suspected plans that could threaten US diplomatic facilities. The closures came before Sunday's presidential election between incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup, Al Jazeera reported.
Neither Washington nor Canberra has published the specific threat information behind the closures. Voting is scheduled for Sunday, and missions had not said when in-person services would resume.