The US has revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to Washington, according to a state department official, marking another escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two countries ahead of Brazil’s elections.

Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti’s visa cancellation comes after the Brazilian government denied visas to two US state department officials who wanted to visit Brazil last month.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva accused the officials of wanting to “meddle” in Brazil’s elections, an allegation the US called “baseless”.