Lula tells Trump to stay out of Brazil's election

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued a strong warning to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to refrain from interfering in Brazil's presidential election on October 4, where Lula seeks re-election. Trump is a key international ally of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, whose son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, is a leading opposition candidate.

During a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Lula stated that while Trump has the right to his electoral preferences, "Brazil's elections are Brazil's business." He demanded the same institutional respect from Washington that Brazil extends to U.S. internal processes. This diplomatic complaint directly responded to an interview Trump gave on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

Trump had commented that South America's largest country "has become a bit tough, a bit politically dangerous," seemingly alluding to recent legal actions against Bolsonaro's associates. Lula dismissed the comment, suggesting Trump "knows little about Brazil" and bases his judgments on his close relationship with Bolsonaro's family.

Trump's political backing of the regional right is not new; he has supported conservative platforms in Argentina, Colombia, and Honduras. After hosting Lula at the White House, Trump broke neutrality by meeting with Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, whom he publicly called a "smart young man who loves his country."

The White House's alignment with the Brazilian conservative opposition led to immediate bilateral pressure. Shortly after meeting Bolsonaro's son, the U.S. Department of State formally classified Brazil's two main organized crime factions, Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), as international terrorist organizations. The Lula administration labeled this move, accompanied by threats of increased export tariffs, as a "crude attempt at electoral coercion," comparing the U.S. administration's behavior to that of a global "emperor."

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