Foreign governments suspended their diplomatic services in Brazil on the basis of safety alarms that domestic investigators have since labeled as unsubstantiated. Brazil’s federal police found no evidence to corroborate the security threats that prompted the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom to halt citizen services starting Oct. 2, leaving foreign nationals to seek emergency help through designated duty officers.

The shutdowns occur two days before the first round of a presidential election this Sunday between incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and challenger Flavio Bolsonaro. While federal agents previously executed search and seizure warrants against two people for suspected plots against the US consulate, Lula's campaign has utilized the embassy withdrawals to support claims of foreign interference in the election.