Key facts
- 31 Democratic lawmakers accused the Trump administration of interfering in Brazil's elections.
- The lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday.
- They cited tariffs and plans to send US officials to Brazil to question its voting system.
- The Brazilian administration denied visas to the US delegation.
- The lawmakers requested a commitment to respect Brazil's electoral process by October 1.
A group of 31 Democratic members of the US Congress has accused the Trump administration of attempting to interfere in Brazil's upcoming presidential election. In a letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, the lawmakers detailed a "sustained, multifaceted campaign of interference and destabilization in Brazil."
The lawmakers cited measures such as tariffs imposed on Brazil and plans by the US government to send officials to question the integrity of the country's voting system, which they interpret as efforts to secure a victory for far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The Brazilian administration ultimately denied visas to the planned US delegation.
Latin America's largest country is scheduled to hold the first round of its presidential election on October 4. Polls indicate a close race between the incumbent leftist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Flávio Bolsonaro.
The letter stated that these actions "reflect a broader and deeply troubling pattern of interference by the Trump administration in recent electoral processes across Latin America," referencing similar concerns raised about elections in Argentina, Honduras, and Colombia.
The Democratic lawmakers requested that the Trump administration commit to respecting Brazil's electoral process, with a response due by October 1.