Brazil police investigate possible foreign interference in election

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
4 Oct 2026 23:40

Brazil’s Federal Police are investigating possible foreign interference in the presidential election, police chief Andrei Rodrigues says.

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A voter displays a banner of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, during general elections in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026 (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Brazil’s Federal Police are investigating possible foreign interference in the ongoing presidential election, police chief Andrei Rodrigues said on Sunday.

“We received a request from the Prosecutor General's Office to conduct an investigation into external interference,” CNN quoted Rodrigues as saying.

Brazil is holding its presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing politician Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, as the main contenders.

Sanders, US Democrats warn Trump trying to meddle in election

A BdF report stated earlier today that Senator Bernie Sanders and 30 Democratic members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio accusing the Donald Trump administration of conducting a pressure campaign against Brazil ahead of the first round of voting on Oct. 4.

The letter, sent Thursday, Sept. 24, was spearheaded by Illinois Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez. The lawmakers said recent White House actions “point toward an apparent effort to interfere with, and potentially undermine, Brazil’s general election in October.”

They called on Washington to commit to recognizing the certified results of the election.

Meeting with Flávio Bolsonaro cited

Among the actions highlighted in the letter was a May Oval Office meeting between Trump and Sen. and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.

According to the lawmakers, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro used the meeting to request that the United States designate Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho drug gangs as "foreign terrorist organizations." The White House implemented the request shortly afterward.

The lawmakers said Brazilian authorities are concerned that the designation could be used as a basis for sanctions and other extraterritorial measures. They also pointed to Trump’s military strikes in Latin America under the pretext of fighting alleged threats posed by such organizations.

“We are writing to express our grave concern regarding the Administration’s coordinated effort to threaten our strategic alliance with Brazil and undermine the Western Hemisphere’s second-largest democracy ahead of its upcoming presidential election in October 2026,” the letter said.