Brazil's Celso Amorim Criticizes U.S. Ambassador Nomination Process as Bizarre

Celso Amorim, the Special Advisor to the Presidency for International Affairs, stated on Wednesday that the United States failed to follow international diplomatic rites regarding the nomination of Daniel Perez as ambassador to Brazil. During a hearing with the Chamber of Deputies' Commission on Foreign Relations and National Defense, Amorim described the U.S. actions as bizarre, noting that Washington publicized the nomination and proceeded with the U.S. Senate process before obtaining the agrément, which is the formal consent required by the Vienna Convention. Amorim suggested the timing was politically motivated, observing that the U.S. had been without an ambassador in Brazil for over a year and a half before rushing the appointment near the elections. He characterized this as part of an escalation of hostility toward the Brazilian government. Daniel Perez, a Republican and Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, was nominated by President Donald Trump. While a U.S. Senate committee gave a favorable opinion, the appointment still requires full Senate approval and the Brazilian government's agrément. The diplomatic tension has intensified following the U.S. Department of State's decision to revoke the visa of Brazil's ambassador in Washington, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, citing delays in the agrément process. During the same hearing, Amorim also addressed the Brazilian government's decision not to classify the PCC and CV criminal organizations as terrorist groups, despite the U.S. designating them as global terrorist organizations in May. Amorim maintained that the government is committed to fighting organized crime but argued that equating such crime to terrorism is not useful.