US and Australian embassies suspend consular services in Brazil due to security concerns

The embassies of the United States (USA) and Australia in Brazil announced the suspension of consular services from this Friday (2) in all cities with in-person service, citing security concerns. However, they did not detail what the possible threats were.

Australia and the USA maintain a partnership in the area of ​​intelligence called Five Eyes (Five Eyes, in Portuguese). In a statement, the Australian government even cites the risk of “terrorism” on the eve of the 1st round of the general elections.

The suspension of US and Australian consultative activities comes amid warnings from experts and the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) about possible new interference by Donald Trump's government in the Brazilian election.

In a statement, the US representation in Brazil claimed that the suspension occurs “due to security concerns”.

“American citizens who require emergency assistance during this period should not go to the American Embassy, ​​Consulates or other diplomatic facilities,” says the statement.

As a result, US consulates in Brasília, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo must remain closed. In case of emergency assistance, the embassy asks that Americans get in touch through the contacts on duty.

The Australian Embassy, ​​in a note, also justifies the suspension of activities for security reasons, citing the same decision as the US Embassy and warning about terrorist attacks as a “global threat”.

"Be aware of possible threats, especially in public places. Terrorists may target tourist areas or other places frequented by foreigners and where large crowds may gather", says a statement on the Australian government website dedicated to tourists in Brazil.

The Australian government classified Brazil at alert level 2, which recommends “exercising a high degree of caution”. Australia's alert scale goes from 1 to 4.

Five Eyes

Australia, the USA, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada form the intelligence partnership called Five Eyes, built since the end of the Second World War in 1946.