Some legal experts say too many people who fled the Iranian regime are being refused refugee or resident status in Canada as a result of prior military involvement.

Lorne Waldman, an immigration lawyer, said many of these men were arbitrarily assigned to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a result of conscription.

“They came to Canada seeking protection,” he told Global News. “And to be told, ‘No, we don’t want you because you were forced to join the organization,’ it’s devastating.”

At a protest in Montreal Tuesday, one woman who asked not to be identified for fear of jeopardizing her family’s application told Global News that for men in Iran, serving in the military is compulsory.

“In Iran, if you want to work, if you want to obtain a passport and minimum rights, you have to ,” she said.

Refusal to serve in the military is punishable by imprisonment, where inmates are often subject to torture.

“I cry every day,” the woman told Global News. “I have anger. I’m very devastated.”

Waldman called the situation for many of these asylum seekers a “travesty.”

But not all legal experts agree on how these cases should be handled.

The Government of Canada listed the IRGC as a terrorist entity in 2024. Some experts say it can be hard to know who was a supporter of the regime and who wasn’t.

“You have to be able to go back through the person’s background and look for a pattern of activity in terms of what groups they were associated with,” James Devine, an associate professor at Mount Alliston University in New Brunswick, told Global News.

Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told Global News in a written statement that membership in the IRGC warrants inadmissibility and that “individuals who served as a result of compulsory military service are assessed on a case-by-case basis.”

“Conscription alone does not necessarily result in inadmissibility,” they continued. “All applicants are given the opportunity to present their case by providing documentary evidence.”

Waldman said it would be easy for the government to assess an applicant’s background and that a failure to do so leaves many at risk of having their applications denied.

“I have not seen a single case where IRCC or CBSA has found that someone who is conscripted into the Iranian revolutionary guard is not inadmissible,” he said.

Iranians in Montreal say they are continuing the fight, pleading with the government to halt deportation orders.

According to the Canadian Border Services Agency, as of July 6, 48 people have been reported inadmissible based on membership in the IRGC.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Lloyd Robertson, a stalwart of Canadian TV news for decades who earned the unrelenting trust of viewers, has died at the age of 92.

His family confirmed to The Canadian Press in an email that the veteran broadcaster died Tuesday evening.

Robertson joined CTV in 1976 and served as chief anchor and senior editor from 1984 to 2011, at the helm of one of the top nightly newscasts in the country and bidding viewers good night with his trademark sign-off: “That’s the kind of day it’s been.”

For 11 consecutive years, TV Guide Canada readers voted Robertson the TV journalist they trusted most, an honour he took to heart.

https://x.com/MarkJCarney/status/2084849502238748746?s=20

“Conferred upon you is this mantle of objectivity and fairness, and you have to take that seriously,” he said in a 2001 interview with The Canadian Press.

“And you’re also aware in this business that as easily as you win it, you can just as easily lose it.”

He resented the assumption of some viewers that his work was nothing more than reading from a teleprompter. After two decades with the CBC, he left the public broadcaster in the 1970s because he felt constricted in what he could do there.

Union regulations at the time restricted CBC anchors to simply reading the news, and prohibited them from writing scripts or choosing stories for the newscast.

“I’m not a talking head,” Robertson told The Canadian Press.

“Damn right it’s important for me to be more than a talking head … I deal in the news every day. I ask questions. I do reports. I analyze. I edit. If that isn’t being a journalist, what is?”

Bell Media, the parent company of CTV News, said in a statement that Robertson was a trusted and beloved broadcaster with the network for 35 years.

“Lloyd left an indelible mark on both CTV News and Canadian journalism,” said Richard Gray, Bell Media’s vice-president of news.

“Throughout his illustrious career, he forged a genuine bond with viewers, becoming a reassuring voice while reporting on some of the biggest events happening across Canada and around the world.”

Gray said Robertson was a valued mentor and friend to those who worked alongside him.

“His enduring legacy continues through the standards and values he established at CTV News, and he will be deeply missed by all.”

Robertson got his start in broadcasting in 1952 in his hometown of Stratford, Ont., at a local radio station. He worked for a Guelph, Ont., radio station the following year before landing with the CBC in 1954 and turning to TV work.

He married his high school sweetheart, Nancy, in 1956. The couple had four daughters together, including a set of twins.

Robertson spent time in Winnipeg and Ottawa before anchoring CBC’s national news from 1970 to 1976.

When he left for CTV, he insisted it wasn’t for the money and said CBC actually offered him more to stay.

“The CTV network said: total freedom, whatever you want to do. You can write, you can go in the field and report, you can anchor, you will have freedom to do what you want to do,” Robertson said in a CBC interview in 1976, shortly before he took on his new job.

“It was irresistible, I couldn’t turn it down. I had a terrible, terrible time tearing myself away from (CBC). In fact, I woke up at six o’clock in the morning after the decision and I said to my wife, ‘What have I done?'”

Covering the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and its aftermath were among the most difficult stories he had to work on, Robertson said.

“I watched for a bit and realized this was horror,” he recalled.

He admitted he became emotional as he described the scene at a memorial service in Ottawa a few days later, when an estimated 100,000 Canadians turned out to pay their respects.

“When I saw those people crying on Parliament Hill, and the monumental nature of this tragedy came home to me, I began to cry. Now I was off camera, but when I was talking voice-over I think my voice may have been trembling a little bit.”

Robertson was named a member of the Order of Canada and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, both honours coming in 1998.

In 2007, he became the first journalist to be inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

He fronted CTV National News until 2011, when he passed the torch to Lisa LaFlamme. He continued to work for the network as a special correspondent.

Robertson won lifetime achievement awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association in 2015 and the Canadian Journalism Foundation in 2016.

He also received several honorary degrees.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Alberta is a major beef producer for Canada, but high prices are opening the market for international competitors.

Grocery stores in Canada have begun selling Australian beef, among other countries — sometimes at a lower price than locally grown beef.

Some prices found at stores across Alberta recently show prices with a more than $40 difference per kilogram, compared similar cuts of domestic beef.

“It may seem extreme and unfair to our cattle producers, but really, the supply chain economics are actually in favour of Australia and New Zealand,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

He says some parts of the country have seen a price increase on local ground beef go up 18 per cent — in July alone.

“Ground beef is the cheapest bovine protein source we have access to and it is really the bulk of beef sales in Canada,” he said.

For some southern Alberta consumers — where beef production and its related agriculture are major industries — it’s hard to pass on lower-cost meats.

“With such a significant price difference, there’s no way my wife and I would buy the Canadian option if there’s Australian beef that’s less than half the price,” said Brad Pace.

The higher Canadian price is not out of the blue, though, according to Charlebois.

The colder climate in Canada causes higher feeding and housing costs for producers, he said. Paired with cheap shipping costs for countries in Oceania to reach our shores, it’s no surprise.

“Inventories are much lower than a few years ago, which is putting pressure on beef prices at retail, essentially,” said Charlebois.

Alberta Beef Producers finance chair Brenda Rosadiuk told Global News in a statement that inventory challenges could be improving, however.

“Statistics Canada’s January cattle inventory numbers showed early indications of growth. Supportive prices at the auction and good weather can encourage producers to grow their herds,” Rosadiuk said.

But it can’t happen overnight.

“That said, it takes time for farm-level shifts in production to impact supply at the grocery store.”

Rosadiuk said it’s a challenging time right now for Alberta producers, as some have reduced their herd head count in recent years.

“Canadian beef is in a period of tight supplies and strong global demand, which is contributing to higher beef prices at the grocery store,” said Rosadiuk.

As a result, she says it’s difficult to save money at the checkout.

“Consumers need to make choices that work for them, and that’s especially challenging right now when food costs are high.”

But she says smart cooking can go a long way to helping consumers.

“Canada Beef has some great resources and recipes to help people get the most value from a variety of cuts.”

Higher prices aren’t only affecting beef, however. The entire ‘trifecta of meat’ is facing hikes, according to Charlebois.

“Chicken actually has rallied. We’ve seen prices go up 20 per cent since March. Pork is up 20 per cent since June. That’s all because of beef.”

“”The beef situation is really impacting the entire meat counter.”

Loblaw, one of Canada’s largest grocers behind brands such as Superstore, Shoppers Drug Part, Extra Foods and No Frills, said it’s selling Australian beef at lower prices to keep meat affordable for Canadians.

“We source beef from a variety of Canadian and international suppliers to ensure customers have access to quality products at competitive prices. Retail prices can vary based on a number of factors, including market conditions, supplier costs and available supply,” the corporation said in a statement to Global News.

However, some Albertans say they’d still rather spend more to support local farmers.

“I still believe Albertan beef is higher quality. So, I’d still lean more toward Albertan beef, even with the insane prices that we have,” said resident Daniel Cockburn.

Charlebois says ongoing competition could, in the long term, be good for Canadian consumers, though he added prices are still uncertain in parts of the country.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Edmonton has seen near-constant rain over the summer and it’s affecting not just new housing developments in the city, but the properties flanking the construction too.

Concerns are mounting for homeowners near infill projects who feel their properties are at risk each time a storm hits.

Claire Spicer and her husband live in the Glenwood neighbourhood in the west end.

When a bad storm rolled into Edmonton three weeks ago, her house and the infill development next door were hit hard.

“The edges of the excavation site all fell in, and with it, it took all of our landscaping on the side of our property.”

Spicer said parts of their yard is now in the pit next door.

“There was some beautiful rock that my husband had put in, he’d done all the grading. It took the retaining wall with it — it’s half gone,” said Spicer.

An eightplex is being built next door, and excavation on the site started on Friday, July 17.

The developers said shoring was in progress the following day, but the night of Saturday, July 18, severe weather hit the city. A fierce storm dumped a large amount of rain over the west end in a short time period.

With proper shoring not yet in place, in the aftermath of the storm, the site looked like a swimming pool.

“This is a serious safety concern,” Spicer said. “There’s easily accessible ways right now, even for a child or a dog, to get into this excavation site.

“After that rain on July 18, there was about two feet of water at the bottom of the excavation site, and it took four days for that to get pumped out,” she said.

In a statement, the developer of the infill property Aadesh Projects told Global News they have been working over the past few weeks to mitigate risks and prevent any further soil collapse.

Aadesh Projects said with rain systems continuing from July 19 until Aug. 2, it created site constraints and left no safe window to restore the shoring.

“We take our responsibility to protect our workforce and our neighbours’ interests with the utmost seriousness,” read the statement.

“We will officially begin progressing with securing the side slopes and finalizing the shoring during the second half of Wednesday, August 5.”

Spicer says the timeline for when the work will be complete keeps getting pushed back.

“He says the issue will be rectified, but when I ask for specific dates by which this will be done, he gives me a date, and then it isn’t done,” Spicer said.

“Distressing to see the damage to my property just increasing every day and not really knowing when it will get fixed and what it will look like at the end of the day.”

Others living in the neighbourhood are also worried about storms and construction.

An infill development is going up beside Richard Grono’s home.

He says all the rain recently has led to parts of his lawn falling into the pit and his fences are nearly tipped over.

“They’ve come, they’ve pumped this out four times, and that’s it. Nothing happens. If this fence comes down on one of us while we’re walking, what happens?” Grono questioned.

“If I lose my fence, what happens to my sidewalk?”

Both Spicer and Grono are on edge — literally — waiting to see what happens with future storms.

They hope speaking out leads to changes.

“I don’t know how the city is, first of all, allowing the excavation sites to come this close to the property lines,” Spicer said.

“If all it takes is a little bit of rain for it to cave in and cause this level of destruction, I think there needs to be some changes to the city bylaws.”

Global News reached out to the City of Edmonton for comment but as of publishing, had not received a response.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A New Brunswick lawyer could face disciplinary action after allegedly using generative AI improperly to write a legal brief, and it is sparking conversations about the use of AI in the profession.

The Law Society of New Brunswick alleged that in April 2025, Denis Sawyer submitted a brief in which 10 of 12 citations were fictitious.

“When Mr. Sawyer was informed of this, he filed a subsequent brief, in which he removed almost all fictitious citations except for two,” a public notice states.

Sawyer filed a response in July stating he admitted to the contents of the notice and that accepts “full responsibility for my oversight.”

But as the matter is set for a hearing next month, legal experts say the issue is not if lawyers are using AI, but rather how they are using it.

“Using AI is not unethical in itself. What is unethical is using AI incompetently,” Norman Siebrasse, a professor in the faculty of law at the University of New Brunswick, told Global News.

Siebrasse said specialized AI tools are already being used to review documents, analyze contracts and improve efficiency.

“AI really does have the potential to improve legal practice and make legal advice more affordable and better,” he said.

But others say those benefits can only occur if lawyers do their due diligence to ensure the accuracy of the information.

“When a lawyer is submitting material to court, the buck stops with that lawyer, whether or not they receive help from a human or a technology tool,” Amy Salyzyn, a professor in the faculty of law at the University of Ottawa, said.

But errors are becoming more common.

Seven decisions involving AI-fabricated legal materials were recorded by Canadian courts and tribunals in 2024, according to data from Courtyready, a justice watchdog. By 2025, that number had risen to 87 decisions. By the end of the first half of 2026, 74 such cases had been documented.

Karen Etis, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, told Global News that the risks of using AI in law go beyond citing incorrect information. She said another concern is how these learning models can set precedents.

“You’re destroying the reliability of precedent,” she said. “Because it’s possible to set a case that someone else will then cite and someone else will then build on that and it is no longer reliable.”

Etis also expressed concerns about with how AI can change the way lawyers handle confidential client information.

“These things are free because they train on your data,” she said.

Law schools are already preparing to teach the next generation of lawyers how to use AI responsibly as the technology becomes increasingly prevalent in legal practice.

Siebrasse, from the University of New Brunswick, said proper education can help future lawyers use these tools to their benefit.

“We are taking steps to prepare our students for AI-assisted practice and also to integrate AI into our pedagogy,” he said.

Sawyer’s disciplinary matter will be heard next month.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Hundreds of firefighters and dozens of planes, helicopters and pieces of heavy equipment are trying to get a handle on the massive Pear Lake wildfire, burning in the South Cariboo.

The fire covers more than 1,150 square kilometres and is part of the Big Bar Complex fire.

Barb Edmonson stayed behind to fight the fire when it threatened the Firefly Ranch in Clinton.

She said she saw her livelihood and years of hard work go up in flames as the Pear Lake and 57 Creek fires converged, telling Global News that she had to choose which buildings to save and which to sacrifice.

“We were hit with the vortex of black ash, sand, gravel, it was like being in a hurricane,” Edmonson said.

“It was completely … the grit in your eyes and you had to hold your head down.”

She said she had to grab the hose and rinse her face in order to breathe.

The area was under an evacuation order, but Edmonson said she stayed to protect her buildings after structural defence personnel visited a few days before the fire hit.

“We were told there was nothing left for fire protection,” she said.

“No structural supplies… were all gone. And they said we happen to have one pump left, though. Where would you like it? I said I would like that barn out there protected… They put a few garden hoses in trees and sprinklers and in my fence post. I had nothing on that structure whatsoever and then the pump seized, so it wasn’t even working.”

Eleven structures went up in flames, including this year’s hay crop in the barn and historic buildings from the 1896 ranch.

Edmonson said she moved her cattle and horses earlier and managed to save the arena.

“That is a lifetime in the making,” she said. “And when crews tell you to leave your property because your life is worth more… no, that is my life.”

A GoFundMe has now been set up to help Edmonson rebuild and get back on her feet.

It is unclear when livestock can return to the region as the fields and fencing are burnt.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Packing a lunch should be the easiest part of your day — not a guessing game of whether your snacks will survive the trip. From colourful bento boxes that keep everything neatly separated to insulated food jars that are perfect for comfort meals, these leakproof lunchboxes help keep food fresh, organized, and ready to enjoy wherever the day takes you. Whether you’re packing lunches for school, work, or weekend adventures, these picks from Bentgo, Yumbox, Simple Modern and more make mealtime a little more fun (and a lot less messy).

 

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Built for snack variety without the bulk, the Yumbox Go brings a bento-inspired layout with five sections, including a handy dip well, so everything from fruit to sauces stays neatly separated. Its lightweight design, easy-open latch, and removable silicone gasket make it the perfect choice for anyone who wants an organized grab-and-go lunch setup.[/product_listing]

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The Bentgo Kids Stainless Steel Food Jar brings a little extra fun to lunchtime with its adorable prints, kid-friendly size, and easy-to-use design made for small hands. Whether it’s a cozy soup on a chilly day or a cool snack for daycare, this insulated jar helps keep kids’ favourite foods at the right temperature while the silicone bumper adds extra protection against drops and bumps.[/product_listing]

 

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Add a little Disney magic to lunchtime with this Simple Modern Frozen Kids Bento Box, featuring Anna and Elsa designs that make every meal feel more fun. With three compartments to keep food neatly separated and a kid-friendly, easy-to-clean design, it’s a cute and practical choice for school, daycare, or everyday adventures.[/product_listing]

 

A great pick for cozy lunches on the go, the Thermos Funtainer Food Jar lets you pack everything from warm soups to cold snacks without needing a traditional lunch box. The built-in folding spoon, durable stainless steel design, and insulated interior make it a practical choice for school days, road trips, or everyday meals away from home.[/product_listing]

 

Lunch containers should be easy for little hands to open, and able to withstand a thrashing in your kid’s backpack. Kids and parents love these colourful bento boxes that keep crackers, veggie sticks, and other favourite foods organized (and separate!) for snack time, lunch time, and beyond.[/product_listing]

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© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

WestJet flights are taking off again after the airline and its flight attendants reached a tentative deal. Following the short-lived strike, an Edmonton couple encountered turbulence they weren’t expecting.

Elaine Schulz-Charlery and her husband Timothy Charlery left Alberta in early July for a four-week family reunion on the southeastern Caribbean island of St. Lucia.

The couple was supposed to return to Edmonton on Sunday, but their flight was cancelled due to strike action.

After 13 hours waiting on the phone, Schulz-Charlery got in touch with a WestJet agent. She says the airline was going to re-book the couple on a route that went through Atlanta, Georgia.

The problem?

Timothy is a Canadian permanent resident travelling on a St. Lucia passport. He would need a visitor visa if he wanted to travel to the United States — even to just pass through while switching flights.

“That wasn’t a viable option for us,” Schulz-Charlery said.

“He couldn’t legally board a plane routed through the United States.”

Schulz-Charlery is a Canadian citizen but said travelling without her husband is not an option.

She asked to be booked on other airlines, including a few Air Canada flights, but said WestJet told her the option it presented met its requirements to rebook in a 48-hour window.

“They said that wasn’t their issue that my husband wasn’t able to take that route. They met their obligation by providing us our flight,” she added.

“They told me that was the only option they could provide me.”

After further back and forth, WestJet rebooked the couple on a flight to Edmonton via Toronto — but it doesn’t depart until this upcoming Sunday, July 9.

Schulz-Charlery works in accounting and was supposed to be back this week to take care of month-end duties.

“Both my husband and myself are supposed to be back at work today.

“We’ve already taken an extended period of time off work — we can’t afford to take another week.”

She’s stressed about the cost of staying in St. Lucia for an additional week — something they wanted to avoid.

“We have expenses — we’re paying to stay at my brother-in-law’s house, plus we have (to buy) more food,” she said, adding they don’t have transportation right now to even do that.

“I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do right now. We are going to the surrounding area to pick avocados and mangoes to eat. There is no grocery store close to us.”

Air Passenger Rights president Gabor Lukacs says WestJet’s stance on the matter is unfair.

“An itinerary that is impossible for the passenger to take because they don’t have the necessary travel documents for that particular connecting point is, by definition, unreasonable,” he said.

He adds it’s one thing if the airline made a mistake, but knowingly doubling down on their stance and refusing to accommodate a passenger’s needs could come with consequences.

“That shows as evidence of bad faith on WestJet’s part,” Lukacs said.

“This would be something that may justify even punitive damages.”

Lukacs advises people to read up on their rights when they are planning to travel and to always secure evidence when possible.

“Always record your conversations with the airline. Don’t go along with whatever they say. You have rights and stand your ground.”

WestJet told Global News now that the strike has ended, it’s working to normalize operations and some travellers may still face disruptions.

“During any ratification, a strike or lockout is not possible, meaning customers can plan, book and travel with WestJet with certainty,” a spokesperson said.

The company says it is looking into Schultz-Charlery’s file.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Amber Cardenas can’t believe she has lost her home, her livelihood and precious family heirlooms, seemingly in the blink of an eye.

She has lived on the Okanagan Indian Band reserve for about 12 years and she and her family were forced to flee the fast-moving Bradley Creek wildfire on Saturday.

“There was no evacuation alert put out,” she said.

“The fire was about, I’d say about 15 km south of our home, and all the information that we were getting (from) friends and family who were on the volunteer department. B.C. Wildfire was kind of on site.”

Cardenas said all of the indications pointed to the fire burning southeast and away from her home.

“Clearly the wind shifted and it changed pretty fast,” she said.

“And once that wind kind of took it, that fire just like took off, and in a matter of from 9:00 to 10:00, even around 12, it was still like nowhere near our house, but with that wind shift, it was probably within an hour that we found out, and volunteer firefighters were going door to door telling people to leave.”

Cardenas said she is sad and frustrated about how much their lives have changed in such a short amount of time.

“I’ve been grateful for that all of my family is safe, and it’s not just our house,” she said.

“Like, so many structures were lost. So many friends and family, their houses are gone. But it’s a pretty hard reality to accept and live in right now.”

Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson said on Tuesday morning that up to 230 homes may have been lost in the Bradley Creek wildfire.

It is now mapped at more than 2,800 hectares and remains out of control.

Cardenas’ home was one that burned to the ground.

“We’ve had the fire come down to our house before, and we do control burning every spring,” she said.

“Our family and we were pretty optimistic that our house was going to make it through this fire again, through this wildfire, and it just happened to not be the case. So, I think, you know, you can only do so much to prepare, and when it’s last minute like that, we grab what we could. But like we were saying, we didn’t think with all the information that we were getting, it didn’t indicate once that it was coming for our direction until it was.”

A GoFundMe has now been set up to help the family get back on their feet.

Cardenas said B.C. Wildfire crews did an amazing job of tackling the fire from the air, but she said it was frustrating that there wasn’t an evacuation alert issued.

“My partner was able to grab some very valuable, irreplaceable things,” she said.

“Some of her grandmother’s baskets, her mom’s baskets, some clothes, not very many… My partner, she’s a jeweler, and you know we invested a lot of money into her equipment and her supplies, and all of that’s gone. And any gifts, everything from our life, it’s gone.”

Cardenas said when the winds shifted and changed direction, there was little they could do to stop it.

“It was just like the dark, like that darkness of that smoke was just coming over the house, and in the distance you could just hear the rumbling and the popping of the trees, and a big like of it just bellowing, and that it was coming this way,” she said.

“I’m grateful to the volunteer firefighter who’s like, you know, ‘You gotta get out, you gotta get out!’.”

She said so many lives are forever changed from the Bradley Creek fire.

“The start of it is, like we went and watched that fire on Friday night, and I got pictures of that too when we went and looked, and you could see it. And at the time, it was just a grass fire, and it just got away and wouldn’t stop.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Trump administration has revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States in retaliation for Brazil’s denial of visas last month for two American diplomats who sought to visit ahead of upcoming elections as well as Brazil’s stalling on approving President Donald Trump’s nominee to be ambassador in Brasilia.

The State Department said the decision was a reciprocal response to Brazil’s actions and officials said the step had been delayed several times to give Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva room to back down, something he did not do. Officials said, however, that it could be quickly reversed if Brazil takes appropriate action and accepts Trump’s ambassadorial choice.

Trump has had a fractious relationship for some time with Lula’s administration, which has opposed him on numerous policies, particularly in the Western Hemisphere regarding Venezuela and Cuba. Their relationship also has been strained by Trump’s fondness for Lula’s first term successor and then predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest, and his son Flávio, who is Lula’s main opponent in October election.

Lula has spared Trump himself from criticism and claims they liked each other when they first met at the United Nations Assembly General in September of last year. The Brazilian leader has blamed Secretary of State Marco Rubio for some of the actions against his country.

Despite the revocation of her visa, Brazil’s ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti is not being expelled from the United States, said one State Department official, who like several others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic matter. The ambassador was previously a senior United Nations official.

She could be allowed to resume her official duties if the Brazilian government accepts Trump’s choice of former Florida House speaker Danny Perez to be U.S. ambassador to Brazil. Perez was nominated to the post in June and the official said Brazil had signaled it would not act on the appointment until after the first round of Brazil’s election on Oct. 4.

In addition to stalling on Perez, Brazil denied visas last month for Riley Barnes, the assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, and one of his top aides after reports emerged that the pair were going to criticize Lula or the election process.

The State Department denied the allegations and said the two had planned to visit Brasilia on July 27-30 to meet government officials, religious leaders and others about “election integrity,” religious freedom and freedom of expression.

It said the visit was routine and that “any insinuation of a ‘ploy’ to undermine a democratic nation’s election is a baseless lie.”

Brazil’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press about the revocation of the ambassador’s visa, but last week a top Brazilian diplomat told journalists the government was expecting a response from the U.S.

The diplomat also mentioned the U.S. government had triggered the proceedings to send Perez to Brasilia before seeking Brazil’s approval, which is not standard diplomatic procedure. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly.

The same Brazilian diplomat told the AP on Tuesday, also under condition of anonymity, that the Lula administration is trying to figure out why the U.S. government is rushing to have an ambassador in Brasilia only months before October’s election. The post in the Brazilian capital has been vacant since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Lula, who is 80 and seeking his fourth term as Brazil’s president, will face Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, whose father once served as Brazil’s president and whose family has many ties with the Trump administration.

Sen. Bolsonaro and his brother, Eduardo, visited U.S. officials in Washington, including Trump, in late May. Shortly afterward, the Trump administration classified Brazil’s biggest drug-trafficking groups — First Command Capital and Red Command — as foreign terrorist organizations, a move Lula opposes.

The Trump administration also imposed an up to 37.5% tariff hike on thousands of Brazilian exports, which came into force Friday. The U.S. government claims the South American nation has unfair competition practices and fails to stop forced labor practices — both accusations rejected by the Lula administration as an attempt to sway the election to Sen. Bolsonaro.

Jair Bolsonaro has for years fed concerns about the country’s electronic voting system, without providing any evidence for his claims. He is now serving a 27-year prison sentence at home for an attempted coup. He has long insisted that the machines, used for a quarter-century, are prone to fraud.

Sen. Bolsonaro has recently repeated some of these claims, although he steered clear of those on Saturday when his Liberal Party confirmed him as a presidential candidate in Sao Paulo.

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