Lula accuses Trump of Brazil election interference, claiming the US president is seeking influence over Brazil’s October presidential vote and access to the country’s natural resources through support for his political rival, Flávio Bolsonaro.
The accusation was made through a campaign advertisement released by Lula’s team as Brazil prepares for its first-round presidential election on October 4. The advert claims Trump is attempting to influence the contest in favour of Flávio Bolsonaro.
The United States has rejected accusations that Washington is attempting to interfere in Brazil’s election. The State Department described suggestions of a US “ploy” to undermine Brazil’s democratic process as a “baseless lie.”
The dispute has nevertheless intensified diplomatic tensions between Brasília and Washington, with Brazil facing US economic pressure while political debate increasingly focuses on sovereignty, foreign influence and the country’s control of strategic resources.
Lula Campaign Targets Trump Over Brazil Election
The one-minute campaign advert released by Lula’s team portrays Trump as seeking to advance American interests by influencing the Brazilian election.
The narrator directly links Flávio Bolsonaro, a leading opposition candidate, to Trump, saying: “Flávio Bolsonaro is Trump’s candidate and what Trump wants is to colonise Brazil, take our riches, steal our future and leave us in the dust.”
The statement represents the Lula campaign’s political allegation and has not been independently established as evidence that Trump intends to take control of Brazil’s resources.
Lula subsequently reinforced the message on social media, accusing Bolsonaro of wanting to “hand our natural resources over to the United States”.
“If it’s up to him, Brazil will become a colony again,” the Brazilian president said.
The comments came with the election entering its final stage before the October 4 first round. If no presidential candidate receives more than half of the votes, Brazil will hold a second-round runoff on October 25.
US Denies Election Interference Allegation
Washington has rejected the allegation that the Trump administration is deliberately attempting to undermine Brazil’s democratic process.
The US State Department previously said: “Any insinuation of a ‘ploy’ to undermine a democratic nation’s election is a baseless lie.”
That denial is central to the dispute, as Lula’s campaign continues to point to diplomatic pressure, trade measures and reported political connections as evidence of what it describes as a broader US effort to influence Brazil’s political direction.
The controversy has also attracted attention beyond Lula’s political base. Other Brazilian candidates have raised concerns about foreign influence, although their political positions and explanations differ from those of the incumbent president.
Brazil Election Interference Claims Intensify
Concerns about Brazil election interference have grown alongside strained economic relations between Brazil and the United States.
Washington has imposed tariffs on Brazilian imports, while Brasília has sought to maintain negotiations with the Trump administration rather than immediately retaliating with equivalent measures.
Lula said earlier this week that Brazil would continue negotiating with Washington over tariffs. Reuters reported that his government planned to refrain from invoking Brazil’s reciprocity law against US tariffs while talks continued.
The economic dispute has become intertwined with the election campaign because Flávio Bolsonaro is regarded as one of Lula’s principal opponents.
Reuters previously reported that US tariffs on Brazilian goods had thrust Washington into Brazil’s presidential race, with Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro exchanging accusations over responsibility for the worsening relationship.
Brazilian officials have also expressed concern about possible foreign influence on the electoral process. Brazil’s intelligence agency reportedly warned of a high risk of US interference, while the government has continued to emphasize the importance of protecting national sovereignty.
Lula Takes Brazil Sovereignty Message to UN
Lula has repeatedly raised the issue of foreign interference in international forums, including his address to the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week.
Speaking in New York, the Brazilian president declared: “We will not allow the enemies of democracy – internal or external – to attack the will of the people. Brazilian democracy belongs to the Brazilians.”
The statement did not name Trump directly but came amid heightened disagreement between Brasília and Washington over the election and broader bilateral relations.
Lula has also previously said that he told Trump Brazil would not accept interference in its electoral process. In September, he stated that Brazil’s elections were reliable and that foreign intervention would not be accepted.
The Brazilian government’s position has therefore combined criticism of alleged external pressure with repeated assurances that its electoral institutions remain capable of conducting the vote.
Democratic Lawmakers Also Raise Concerns
The controversy has not been limited to Lula’s Workers’ Party.
Dozens of Democratic members of the US Congress wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressing concern about what they described as an apparent campaign of interference and destabilisation involving Brazil.
The lawmakers argued that US actions could weaken Brazilian democratic institutions and undermine confidence in the country’s electoral process.
They asked the Trump administration to commit to respecting Brazil’s electoral process and requested a response before October 1. The State Department had not responded to the request for comment at the time of the report.
The lawmakers’ intervention adds another dimension to the dispute, although their assessment remains a political position rather than an independent determination that US election interference has occurred.
Flávio Bolsonaro and Trump Connection Under Scrutiny
Flávio Bolsonaro has emerged as a central figure in the controversy because Lula’s campaign presents him as Trump’s preferred candidate.
The campaign advert explicitly describes Flávio as “Trump’s candidate” and argues that his election would advance US interests in Brazil.
However, the allegation that Trump intends to use a Flávio Bolsonaro government to obtain Brazilian natural resources remains a claim made by Lula’s campaign.
Another right-wing presidential candidate, Renan Santos, has also criticized what he considers excessive US influence.
Santos said he did not want Brazil to become a US “vassal state” and alleged that American interests were connected to potential contracts involving rare-earth resources.
“They want to interfere in Brazil’s elections to secure satisfactory contracts involving rare earths,” Santos claimed in a social media video.
He also referred to US actions elsewhere in Latin America, saying: “I don’t want to see Latin America become an American protectorate.”
His comments demonstrate that concerns about national sovereignty extend beyond Lula’s political coalition, although candidates differ sharply in their interpretations of Washington’s actions.
Natural Resources Become Central Election Issue
Brazil’s natural resources have become an important part of the political argument surrounding US-Brazil relations.
The Brazilian intelligence assessment reported by Agência Brasil warned of possible US influence and linked Washington’s broader regional strategy to competition over strategic assets, natural resources and infrastructure.
The issue is particularly sensitive because Brazil possesses significant mineral, agricultural and energy resources and maintains major economic relationships with both the United States and China.
Lula’s campaign has therefore used the language of sovereignty to frame the election dispute, arguing that Brazilians should determine the country’s political and economic direction without outside pressure.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, has justified its trade measures through economic and policy concerns. The US Trade Representative said a Section 301 investigation found what Washington considered unreasonable Brazilian practices involving areas including digital trade, tariffs, intellectual property, ethanol access and deforestation.
That provides an alternative explanation for at least some of the economic pressure: Washington says its actions are connected to trade and policy disputes rather than an effort to control Brazil’s election.
Brazil Heads Towards Crucial October Vote
With the first round approaching on October 4, the dispute between Lula and Trump has become part of a wider debate over Brazilian sovereignty, foreign influence and the relationship between domestic politics and international economic pressure.
Lula’s campaign is seeking to mobilise voters around the argument that Brazil must protect its resources and democratic institutions from foreign interference.
The campaign’s communications secretary, Éden Valadares, said the advert was intended to alert Brazilians to what the party considers an ideologically driven US campaign.
“We don’t believe it will work but nor will we sit back and do nothing,” Valadares said.
He added: “President Lula has instructed us … to mobilise Brazilian society … [and] to react in the streets.”
The Workers’ Party is planning nationwide events as the election campaign enters its final days.
Meanwhile, the United States continues to deny that it is attempting to undermine Brazil’s democratic process, leaving the allegations of election interference at the centre of an increasingly contentious political and diplomatic dispute.
What Comes Next
Brazil’s October election will determine whether Lula secures another term or whether an opposition candidate takes power, but the broader dispute with Washington extends beyond the immediate presidential contest.
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Questions surrounding tariffs, strategic resources, diplomatic pressure, political alliances and Brazil’s relationship with the United States are likely to remain significant regardless of the election’s outcome.
For now, Lula’s campaign is presenting the contest as a defence of Brazilian sovereignty, while Washington rejects accusations that its policies constitute an effort to manipulate the vote.
The competing claims underline the sensitivity of Brazil’s election and the importance of distinguishing documented US policy actions from allegations about their political purpose.
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