Brazil denies visas to US officials amid election tensions

October election will see incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva contend with Trump ally Senator Flavio Bolsonaro

Brazil has denied visas to two officials from United States President Donald Trump's administration who had sought to travel to the country to meet with electoral authorities ahead of the October presidential election.

The officials were Riley M. Barnes, assistant secretary from the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and Samuel Samson, deputy assistant secretary from the same bureau.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.