Under Trump, more than half of US embassies are without an ambassador

The organization represents employees of the American foreign service and maintains an updated balance of positions until August 3. Of the vacant positions, 35 already have names indicated, but are awaiting completion of the accreditation process. Brazil is one of the countries within this diplomatic gap.

In June 2026, Trump nominated lawyer and Republican congressman Daniel Perez to fill the vacancy - but the name remains without formal approval from the Brazilian government and without confirmation by the US Senate.

The situation triggered a new diplomatic crisis between Brasília and Washington. In retaliation for the lack of response, the American State Department announced the revocation of the visa of the Brazilian ambassador to the USA, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.

Africa has the largest number of vacant positions. On the continent, of the 51 diplomatic representations, 39 do not have an American ambassador, equivalent to 76.5% of the total. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the rate reaches 60.7%, with 17 open positions among the 28 representations monitored in the region.

Even some countries aligned with the USA, such as El Salvador, Paraguay and Ecuador, have vacant positions, although new names have already been appointed, as the process remains pending. On the other hand, Argentina, by Javier Milei, and Chile, by José Antonio Kast, have ambassadors, as do Uruguay and Peru.

There are vacant posts in countries central to diplomatic negotiations in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Pakistan. Ukraine and Russia, currently at war, also make up the list.

The head of Washington's diplomacy is Marco Rubio, a strong critic of the Latin American left and who has already confronted the Lula government on different occasions. The main names working in American foreign policy are not only politically aligned with President Donald Trump, but many come from his personal circle.

One of the White House's main international negotiators is Steve Witkoff, a real estate businessman who serves as a special envoy for high-level diplomatic missions. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, is involved in negotiations related to conflicts in the Middle East.

According to the American Foreign Service Association, around 2,000 diplomats left their positions last year, between layoffs and mandatory retirements.