Key facts
- Brazil's President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva confirmed two U.S. officials were denied visas.
- Lula accused the officials of attempting to interfere in Brazil's October election.
- The U.S. officials were scheduled to visit Brazil in late July to discuss election integrity.
- They were also expected to meet with presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.
- Brazil's Superior Electoral Court has defended the security of its electronic voting system.
Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva confirmed on Wednesday that his government denied visas to two U.S. officials, accusing them of attempting to interfere in the upcoming October election. Lula stated that the officials were sent to Brazil to 'meddle' in the electoral process.
The two individuals, identified as Riley M Barnes, an assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, and Samuel Samson, a deputy assistant secretary in the same section, were scheduled to visit Brazil in late July. Their stated purpose for the visit was to discuss freedom of expression, religion, and election integrity. They were also expected to meet with Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and a right-wing candidate in the upcoming election.
Flávio Bolsonaro has previously raised concerns about Brazil's electronic voting machines, claims that have been refuted by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court. The court has praised the country's electronic voting system, in use since 1996, as one of the most secure globally, with no systemic fraud ever recorded. The system uses fingerprints for voter verification and prints paper tallies for comparison with official counts, with independent audits conducted regularly.
Previously, the U.S. State Department had dismissed suggestions of election interference as a 'baseless lie.' Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the 2022 election to Lula, was banned from running for office due to his repeated claims of electoral fraud and was later handed a prison sentence for plotting a coup. His supporters stormed government buildings on January 8, 2023, following his election loss.