Brazil’s attorney general has called for an investigation into US election meddling ahead of the first round of presidential elections. Brazil goes to the ballot boxes for the first round of presidential elections this week. The two front-runners are progressive candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known as Lula, and right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro, son of disgraced ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.
The elder Bolsonaro remains under house arrest for an attempted coup after falsely claiming the last round of presidential elections were fraudulent.
Lula’s campaign has also accused the US of interfering in elections, citing a White House endorsement of the younger Bolsonaro as well as a host of other right-wing candidates in the national elections.
The Guardian this week published a story reporting that the administration of US President Donald Trump plans to award $1m to right-wing civil groups opposing the Brazilian Supreme Court.
The US attempted to interfere with the conviction of the elder Bolsonaro, describing his conviction as “lawfare”, and accusing the country’s Supreme Court of a “political witch hunt.”
The US briefly imposed 50% on all Brazilian goods, and sanctioned members of the Brazilian court
In recent weeks, the US has threatened economic retaliation if Lula’s party wins elections.
Lula’s campaign has also accused US-owned social media companies of throttling their voices, with Facebook and X refusing to run election ads for the liberal candidate.
Flavio Bolsonaro has visited the White House, and advocated for increased US pressure on his own country in an attempt to free his father from house arrest, and overturn a ban on his social media use.
Flavio has promised closer ties with the US, and preference for Western companies in the countries considerable mining sector, including rare-earth minerals, which are a critical component for weapons manufacturing and the private tech sector.
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