31 Democratic lawmakers accuse Trump of interfering in Brazil's Oct. 4 election
Congressional Democrats sent Secretary of State Rubio a letter alleging tariffs, visa denials, and election observation plans target Lula ahead of Brazil's presidential vote.
What to know
- 31 Democratic lawmakers sent Secretary of State Rubio a letter on September 24 accusing the Trump administration of interfering in Brazil's October 4 presidential election to benefit far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.
- The alleged interference tactics include tariffs tied to ex-president Bolsonaro's coup trial, new tariffs imposed in July, and attempted deployment of US election observers to cast doubt on Brazil's voting system.
- Democrats characterize this as part of a broader pattern of Trump administration interference across Latin America, citing similar actions in Colombia (July), Argentina, and Honduras.
- Brazil's election is a technical tie between leftist incumbent Lula and Bolsonaro's son; Lula has publicly complained about US interference at the UN General Assembly this week.
“rather than helping defend Brazilian democracy", the US is "acting as an agent of interference and destabilization – using diplomatic, economic and political pressure in ways that risk weakening the country's democratic institutions”
Democratic lawmakers, Congressional letter signers · The Guardian ↗ · Sep 23
31 Democratic members of Congress (30 House members + Bernie Sanders) Accusers
Marco Rubio Secretary of State
Donald Trump US President
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Brazilian President (incumbent)
Flávio Bolsonaro Far-right candidate in Brazil's October 4 election
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts
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Lula says Brazil will not allow internal or external enemies of democracy to act against the people
At the UN General Assembly this week, Brazilian President Lula made veiled remarks about foreign interference in Brazil's electoral process, saying the country would not permit those acting against the will of the people.
“We will not allow the enemies of democracy, internal or external, to act against the will of the people.”
— Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva -
first by Guardian, 5d ago
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⚡ NEWS US Lawmakers Accuse Trump Administration of Interfering in Brazilian Elections 31 Democratic US Congress members sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to interfere with and undermine Brazil's upcoming presidential election. The letter highlights concerns that such actions weaken…
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The lawmakers wrote that US officials under Trump have engaged in a "sustained, multifaceted campaign of interference and destabilization in Brazil," @theguardian.com reports.
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Democrats detail alleged interference tactics: tariffs, visa denials, election observers — The letter cites Trump's first tariffs on Brazil last year tied to ex-president Bolsonaro's coup trial, new tariffs imposed in July, and plans by the US government to send two officials to Brazil to "cast doubt on the integrity of the country's voting system." The Lula administration denied the US delegation visas.
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31 Democratic lawmakers send letter to Rubio accusing Trump of Brazil election interference — A group of 30 House members and Senator Bernie Sanders sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleging the Trump administration is conducting "an apparent effort to interfere with, and potentially undermine" Brazil's October 4 presidential election. The lawmakers characterized the actions as a "sustained, multifaceted campaign of interference and destabilization."
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11 Democratic members sent similar letter alleging Trump interference in Colombia's election — In July, a separate group of 11 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter accusing Trump of attempting to interfere in Colombia's election in favor of far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who subsequently won the second round.