US, Australia close Brazil embassies days before election; PF warns of coup plot

The United States suspended in-person services at its embassy in Brasília and consulates across Brazil on Friday, citing unspecified security threats. Hours later, Australia closed its embassy in the capital, echoing the same security concerns. Both closures occur two days before the first round of Brazil's presidential election.

The Federal Police (PF) and the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) issued internal alerts warning of a psychological operation, dubbed "Operation Brother Sam II," allegedly orchestrated by the White House in coordination with the Flávio Bolsonaro candidacy. The alerts were distributed through the Brazilian Intelligence System (Sisbin).

“The idea is to favor one candidate to the detriment of another. The objective is that the current candidate who can win, President Lula, be considered 'guilty' for allowing this 'violent climate.'”

A PF source stated the operation aims to create a climate of fear to suppress turnout or shift votes against President Lula, who leads polling. The source described the goal as framing Lula as responsible for a manufactured "violent climate" ahead of the vote.

International analyst Ana Prestes characterized the embassy closures as an "intimidation game" typical of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's methods, designed to manufacture instability. She noted there is no actual climate of violence in Brazil to justify the measures.

Neither the US nor Australian governments have officially linked the closures to the Brazilian election. The US State Department cited "threats" without detailing their origin, nature, or severity.