Was Lula’s Rival an Agent of the United States?
The United States no longer bothers to conceal its interference in foreign elections.
On the 25th, Reuters published an investigative report indicating clear evidence that the U.S. has sought to influence Brazil’s upcoming election by advancing Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of Brazil’s former president.
Reuters stated that its investigation was based on information provided by ten current and former American officials. Among them were Darren Beattie and Ricardo Pita, two advisors from the U.S. Department of State, whose original objective was reportedly to restore Jair Bolsonaro to power—raising concerns about potential covert efforts to engineer a political shift.
However, following Bolsonaro’s sentencing in 2025 to 27 years in prison, Beattie and Pita shifted their support to his son, Flávio Bolsonaro.
According to Reuters, Beattie and Pita may have been acting under directives linked to Marco Rubio or Donald Trump, both of whom have long been described as staunch supporters of Jair Bolsonaro.
Since last year, the Trump administration has repeatedly imposed what it terms “punitive measures” against Brazil, including sanctions targeting Brazilian Supreme Court justices involved in investigating Bolsonaro (though these were later lifted in December). The U.S. also designated certain Brazilian criminal gangs as “terrorist organizations”—a move widely seen as aimed at undermining President Lula’s credibility, given longstanding criticism over his sluggish approach to combating organized crime.
On October 25, Brazil will hold a runoff election. Current polling shows a narrow but persistent gap between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro: Flávio leads at 51.1%, while Lula stands at 48.9%. The race remains intensely competitive. While the results do not guarantee victory for Flávio Bolsonaro, they indicate that Lula’s path to re-election is far from assured.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880017082808331/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.