New U.S. Ambassador Arrives in Brazil Amid Covid-19 Pandemic

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Amid the global Covid-19 health crisis, a new United States diplomat arrived in Brasilia on Sunday to take his position as the North American ambassador to Brazil. Todd C. Chapman was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump in October of 2019 and confirmed by the US Senate earlier this year.

“It is a great privilege to return to Brazil and serve as the ambassador of the United States of America to the country and to lead the important work of the embassy and our consulates,” said Chapman in his social media accounts.

According to the new ambassador, the United States is ‘committed to pursuing a broad agenda with Brazil, as outlined by President Donald Trump and President Jair Bolsonaro.’

Chapman arrives at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is making headlines around the world.

“My immediate focus will be to help the Brazilian government, the Brazilian people, and the 260,000 Americans living in Brazil in their response to the health emergency caused by COVID-19,” he said.

This is the second time the diplomat has been stationed in Brazil. Between 2011 and 2014, Chapman served as Deputy Head at the United States Embassy in Brasilia. Before taking over the diplomatic position at the US Embassy in Brasilia, Chapman served as ambassador in the Republic of Ecuador (2016 to 2019).

The diplomat arrives at a time when the US government is urging all of its citizens living abroad to return home.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Warning, which recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Brazil.

On March 24th, American citizens living in Brazil received instructions on departure procedures: “The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia would like to inform U.S. citizens in Brazil that some regularly scheduled commercial flight options remain available departing Brazil for the United States, but we expect this number to decrease,” said the note issued to U.S. citizens.

“Citizens who wish to return to the United States are urged to do so as soon as possible as the travel situation is evolving rapidly, and flight availability is subject to change.  Domestic flight schedules within Brazil are also being reduced significantly, and U.S. citizens currently outside of the international gateways identified below should also monitor their ability to obtain a connecting flight by consulting the website of their nearest airport,” concluded the note.

As of mid-March, the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia and consulates in several Brazilian cities started to offer only emergency services and only to U.S. citizens. Passport renewals without imminent travel have been suspended for the time being.

Before President Trump nominated Chapman for the post at the Brazilian Embassy, there had been rumors that the U.S. leader was discussing appointing his son, Eric, to the position.

On the Brazilian side, the head of business at the Brazilian embassy in Washington, Nestor Forster, still awaits the confirmation of his name by the Brazilian Senate to officially act as an ambassador. Forster is in quarantine after being contaminated by the coronavirus during a trip by President Bolsonaro to Florida in early March.