Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has warned United States President Donald Trump against interfering in Brazil’s presidential election, as political tensions surrounding the Bolsonaro family continue to intensify ahead of the October vote.
Speaking on Wednesday after attending the Group of 7 (G7) summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Lula said Trump was free to maintain personal and political ties with the Bolsonaro family but drew a clear line against foreign involvement in Brazil’s electoral process.
Lula said Brazil’s elections were a matter for Brazilians alone and called for the same respect toward Brazil that he said his government extends to the United States.
Lula is seeking re-election in October and remains one of the leading contenders in the race.
His principal challenger is Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and the candidate of Brazil’s Liberal Party.
The election campaign has unfolded against a backdrop of growing scrutiny over Trump’s support for the Bolsonaro family.
Since returning to office, Trump has faced accusations of attempting to influence political outcomes in Latin America in favor of right-wing candidates.
Last year, Trump publicly defended Jair Bolsonaro after the former Brazilian leader was charged with attempting to overturn his 2022 election defeat, describing the legal proceedings as a “witch hunt.”
Trump also imposed tariffs on selected Brazilian goods and sanctions on members of Brazil’s justice system, including Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The Bolsonaro family’s legal challenges have continued to draw attention.
Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced in September to 27 years in prison after being convicted of plotting an alleged coup and attempting to undermine Brazil’s democratic institutions.
More recently, Eduardo Bolsonaro was sentenced to four years in prison after Brazil’s Supreme Court found that his efforts to lobby the Trump administration amounted to coercion and interference in the country’s justice system.
At the G7 summit, Trump criticized Brazil’s political environment and suggested the country had become increasingly hostile to right-wing views.
He also appeared to reference the Bolsonaro family’s legal troubles, though Lula dismissed Trump’s assessment and questioned his understanding of Brazil.
Lula said that if Trump’s knowledge of the country came only through his relationship with the Bolsonaro family, then he did not truly know Brazil.