Brazil will confront foreign interference in elections, says Lula amid US tensions

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has issued a strong warning against any foreign attempts to interfere in the country's upcoming elections, amidst escalating diplomatic friction with the United States.

"Brazil is not only prepared, but will confront anyone from outside who wants to interfere in our electoral process," Lula stated in an interview with Brazilian scientific portal Meteoro Brasil. He emphasized that Brazil deserves respect and rejected the notion of other nations attempting to influence the October 4 elections, where Brazilians will choose their president, governors, deputies, and senators.

The tensions with the U.S. have intensified recently. The U.S. revoked the visa of Brazil's ambassador in retaliation for Brazil's refusal to grant approval for Daniel Perez, the U.S. nominee for ambassador to Brazil. Lula criticized this move, recalling that Brazil had previously denied visas to two Americans who intended to "oversee" and "investigate" the electronic voting machines.

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Brazil is not only prepared, but will confront anyone from outside who wants to interfere in our electoral process.

Lula linked these actions to a perceived lack of respect from the United States, questioning why the U.S. expects to dictate terms to Brazil. "It is not correct and it is not possible. We want to be treated with respect," he asserted. He also mentioned having had "good" conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump, but stressed the need for "sobriety" and "serenity" between the "two most important democracies in the region."

During the interview, Lula also defended the integrity of Brazil's electronic voting system, pointing to his own electoral history as proof of its reliability. He highlighted Brazil's extensive experience with electronic voting, suggesting few other countries can claim a more honest electoral system. These diplomatic tensions arise less than two months before the elections, in which Lula faces Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and his main rival, who is politically aligned with Trump.

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It is not correct and it is not possible. We want to be treated with respect.