Lula Accuses U.S. of Election Interference, Authorizes Military Support for Vote

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has accused the U.S. government of attempting to influence the October presidential elections by backing his main rival, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Lula directly challenged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to establish a committee in support of the opposition candidate.

The accusation comes amid rising tensions as the election date approaches. In a related move, Lula has authorized the deployment of the armed forces to bolster security and logistics for the elections, according to a decree published in the Official Gazette. This measure allows the military to assist in tasks such as vote security and result tabulation, contingent upon requests from the Electoral Justice system.

Analysts suggest that recent pre-election polls show a resurgence for the incumbent, coinciding with difficulties in the opposition's campaign. These challenges reportedly stem from judicial turbulence, internal defeatism, and significant public rejection of perceived U.S. interference in the electoral process. Polls indicate Lula holds an eight-point lead over Senator Bolsonaro in a potential second-round scenario, with 45% of voter intentions compared to Bolsonaro's 37%, marking a two-point increase for Lula from the previous month.

Lula's criticisms of Rubio are particularly sharp, occurring amidst deteriorating bilateral relations following the recent imposition of additional tariffs on Brazilian exports by the U.S. The electoral campaign has been significantly agitated by these critiques of American government actions.

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