Overview

• Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said he received a diplomatic visa to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York and a PAHO conference in Washington.
• U.S. authorities notified Brazil that his travel must be confined to routes between his hotel, U.N. venues and Brazilian missions, with a five-block radius near his lodging that may also apply to accompanying relatives.
• The restriction is described as more severe than the 25-mile travel limits often applied to diplomats from countries such as Cuba, Russia and Syria, according to State Department practices cited in reports.
• Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski have already been cleared to travel, and Brazil’s foreign ministry says remaining visa requests are being processed.
• August actions revoked visas for relatives and officials linked to Mais Médicos, which the U.S. characterized as a forced-labor scheme, and Padilha has not confirmed he will go, citing priority for a health measure in Congress.