Palácio do Planalto – Official Note
Brasília, August 21, 2025
The Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil informs that yesterday evening, at 7:00 p.m. Brasília time, the Palácio do Planalto received the official visit of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr. Rishi Sunak.
Although the meeting was originally planned to be one of the most significant diplomatic events in recent years—showcasing Brazil’s institutional capacity and potential—developments on the British side prevented these expectations from being fulfilled.
The meeting, formally planned and organized in a cordial and professional manner by the Secretariat of Social Communication (SECOM) and the Institutional Security Cabinet of Brazil, was scheduled to take place on Friday, August 22. However, it was unexpectedly advanced to Wednesday, August 20, and condensed into a one-hour window. This sudden change caused surprise and disruption among the press, the Armed Forces, ministers, members of the Ministry of National Sovereignty, and even civil society.
In an effort to summon the largest possible number of participants in the shortest amount of time, the Palácio do Planalto issued an urgent aviso de pauta 34 minutes prior to the start of the official heads-of-state ceremony. This instrument, exceptionally reserved for matters of urgent relevance to the Brazilian population, was used in order to mitigate the sudden alteration.
Despite these efforts, the presence of national institutions was insufficient to fully meet the demands of the event. Responding units included: one unit from the Diplomatic Security Division of the Federal District Military Police, one unit from the National Guard, two representatives of the national press, and two civilians. The limited turnout led Prime Minister Sunak to describe the occasion as
“the worst state visit I have experienced in my entire career.”
The Presidency of Brazil deeply regrets the circumstances and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to ensuring that such episodes are never repeated. To this end, the Palácio do Planalto has formally submitted to the National Congress an amendment to the Constitutional Amendment Proposal on National Sovereignty, currently under debate, in order to establish standard and irreversible protocols for ceremonies involving heads of state. Among its provisions is the absolute prohibition of unilateral schedule changes in official visits, ensuring that such disruptions shall never occur again.
Palácio do Planalto
Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
