Daniel Perez, President Donald Trump’s nominee to become the next U.S. ambassador to Brazil, has cleared a Senate committee but remains at the center of a diplomatic dispute between Washington and Brasília. He must still win approval from the full U.S. Senate and obtain formal consent from Brazil’s government before taking the post.
Perez appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 16. During the hearing, he said he would support free and fair elections in Brazil and press for protections for freedom of expression if confirmed.
“I will advocate for conditions that enable free and fair elections and freedom of expression, because a stable and democratic Brazil is a better partner for the United States,” Perez said, according to Folha de S.Paulo.
A Diplomatic Dispute
The committee approved his nomination by 13 votes to 8, with support from two Democrats: Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the panel’s Western Hemisphere subcommittee, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the committee’s vice chair. The nomination is now part of a package of 75 candidates scheduled for a full Senate vote. Folha reports that Perez could be confirmed on Thursday, August 6.
The dispute began with Brazil’s delay in granting the agrément, the formal approval a host government must give before a foreign ambassador can take office. In retaliation, the Trump administration revoked the visa of Maria Luiza Viotti, Brazil’s ambassador to the United States.
Washington has indicated that it could reverse the visa decision if Perez is confirmed and receives Brazil’s approval. Even after a Senate confirmation, however, Perez would still need the Lula administration’s agrément to assume his position in Brasília.
Political Background
Perez is a first-generation Cuban American who was born in New York and moved with his family to Florida in 1993. He was first elected to the Florida state legislature in 2017 and served two terms.
His official biography does not list previous experience in foreign-policy positions. His political profile, however, has drawn attention from Brazilian businesspeople based in Florida, who view him as supportive of trade, according to Folha.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also from Florida and is the son of Cuban immigrants. Perez’s nomination was reportedly welcomed by part of Florida’s Brazilian business community because of the state’s commercial ties with Brazil. Brazil is Florida’s largest international trading partner, accounting for 6.2% of the state’s merchandise trade.
If confirmed, Perez will undergo State Department training that includes Portuguese lessons and introductory courses on Brazil’s history, politics, economy and society. The nomination’s final outcome will depend on both the U.S. Senate and the Brazilian government, leaving the ambassadorial post tied directly to the broader strain in relations between Trump and Lula.