The United States government suspended in-person services on Friday (2) at its embassy in Brasília and at its consulates in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Porto Alegre, citing security concerns. The notice, published on Thursday and reported by Folha de S.Paulo and G1, gives no details about what prompted the measure, which takes effect two days before the first round of Brazil's general elections on Sunday (4).

The embassy's statement includes specific guidance for American citizens:

"U.S. citizens who need emergency assistance during this period should not go to the embassy, the consulates or other U.S. diplomatic facilities."

In those cases, the recommendation is to contact the duty officer responsible for assistance. A spokesperson for the State Department, the U.S. foreign ministry, told Folha that the administration of Donald Trump gives "top priority to the safety and protection of American citizens" and is working "in close cooperation with our Brazilian counterparts to address security matters." According to the spokesperson, the diplomatic mission runs a messaging system to send alerts about threats, events and relevant changes in Brazil.

For the Brazilian public, however, practical questions remain. The notice does not explain what people with visa interviews scheduled for this Friday should do. Folha contacted the press office of the U.S. consulate in São Paulo and had received no reply by publication time. The suspension mainly affects visa applicants, who depend on in-person appointments for interviews and document delivery.

Australia closes its embassy and cites the elections

The American alert reached another diplomatic mission. Australia's embassy in Brasília announced it would remain closed on Friday "due to security concerns," according to G1, and advised its citizens to avoid the U.S. embassy, consulates and diplomatic facilities in Brazil and the surrounding areas. The Australian statement explicitly mentions Brazil's electoral calendar, with the first round on October 4, the runoff on October 25 and the presidential inauguration on January 5, 2027, and warns of possible rallies, demonstrations and heightened security measures in the period. "We continue to advise exercising a high degree of caution in Brazil due to the threat of violent crime," the text says, adding that "terrorism is a worldwide threat."

On the local front, Brazil's Federal Police requested reinforced policing around the embassy district in Brasília, the Federal District's public security secretariat told G1. So far, the U.S. embassy has not said when in-person services will resume and has not detailed the nature of the threat behind the decision.