Trump's nominee for US embassy 'loves Brazil', says Republican senator

Scott stated that the former president of the Florida Legislative Assembly is "very focused on results" and said he believes his main mission will be to strengthen cooperation between the two governments and expand bilateral trade. Asked about the concerns expressed by the Lula government that the appointment could be interpreted as an attempt to interfere in the Brazilian presidential elections, the Republican rejected the hypothesis.

"He has no interest in getting involved in Brazilian elections, just as we don't want any other country involved in our elections." Still according to the senator, the nominee defends "free and fair" elections in any democracy.

Scott avoided assigning responsibility for the diplomatic impasse and said he hoped that, once confirmed by the Senate, Perez would be received by Brasília. "It will be a win-win situation. He wants a better relationship between the Brazilian government and the US and wants more trade between the two countries, which will be good for the Brazilian people and for the Americans," he said.

Perez, however, is at the center of a diplomatic crisis. While Brazil does not grant him the agrément (endorsement), the Trump administration decided to cancel Ambassador Maria Luiza Viotti's visa.

For Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, a critic of Trump's Latin America policy, the recent crisis is senseless. According to him, the tariffs imposed on Brazil and the diplomatic measures adopted subsequently are not commercially motivated, but political, as they are linked to former president Jair Bolsonaro.

For Kaine, the successive retaliations ended up compromising trust between the two governments.

In the Democrat's assessment, it is now up to chancellors Marco Rubio and Mauro Vieira to negotiate a way out of the impasse. "It's time for the U.S. to engage in a meaningful discussion to reduce this unnecessary tension that Trump started and restore the two nations to the kind of productive relationship we have long had," he said.

"I encourage my Republican colleagues to pressure the White House to do this and I encourage Brazilian leaders to do the same. There is no reason for our two nations to have this type of unnecessary obstacle in the relationship now," added the senator.

Despite criticism of the White House, Kaine said he voted in favor of Perez's confirmation to the Foreign Relations committee. There was an expectation that the vote in the Senate plenary would take place this Thursday, but the process should only take place this Friday (7). The Democrat defended that Brazil and the USA reach an agreement so that the two ambassadors can carry out their duties.