Brazilian government calls for probe into US funding of far-right causes | Elections News
Brazil Attorney General Calls for Investigation into U.S. Fund Diversion Ahead of Presidential Election
Published: October 1, 2026
Brazil’s Attorney General Jorge Messias is urging law enforcement to investigate allegations that the United States under the Trump administration sought to interfere in Brazil’s domestic politics by directing funds to far-right organizations. This call for a probe follows a report published on Wednesday by The Guardian, which indicated that the Trump administration intended to allocate $1 million to certain civil groups opposing the Brazilian Supreme Court.
In a social media post, Messias emphasized that foreign interference “cannot be tolerated” and described the report as a significant warning regarding Brazilian sovereignty. “The information is especially serious in light of Brazil’s electoral process and the recent episodes of external pressure on our institutions,” he stated.
The timing of the report coincides with a contentious presidential election in Brazil, where the incumbent leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is seeking re-election. Lula has raised concerns about Trump’s efforts to bolster far-right allies throughout Latin America, highlighting perceived threats to regional sovereignty.
Recently, Trump has endorsed several right-wing candidates in the region, occasionally tying economic support to electoral outcomes. He has maintained a close relationship with the family of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was defeated by Lula in the previous election cycle. Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is a leading contender against Lula in the upcoming election, with recent polling suggesting a tight race just days before the first round of voting on October 4.
Flavio Bolsonaro met with Trump at the White House in May, pledging to strengthen ties with the U.S. In contrast, Lula has positioned himself as a critic of Trump’s interventionist stance on Latin American politics and security.
The Guardian’s report also indicates that the Trump administration sought to redirect $175 million from the State Department’s human rights fund to various far-right causes worldwide. The alleged recipients included groups supporting white Afrikaners in South Africa, which Trump has misleadingly characterized as victims of a “genocide,” as well as initiatives in Brazil aimed at countering what U.S. sources described as “lawfare and censorship.”
The Brazilian Supreme Court, which has been a focal point of criticism from political conservatives in Brazil as well as from some U.S. officials, adjudicated the case against Bolsonaro, who was convicted in 2025 for his involvement in an alleged coup attempt following his loss to Lula in the 2022 election. Trump and Bolsonaro’s supporters have framed the case as political persecution.
Last year, Trump’s administration imposed a 50 percent tariff on select Brazilian goods in response to Bolsonaro’s conviction, which he later lifted. He criticized Brazil’s treatment of Bolsonaro in a public letter, calling it “an international disgrace.” Additionally, the Trump administration revoked visas for Brazilian judicial officials involved in Bolsonaro’s case, aiming to dismiss it, and briefly sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of conducting an “unlawful witch hunt” against conservative voices.
In September 2025, Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison. His son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, received a prison sentence of over four years after a court ruled he had lobbied for U.S. intervention in his father’s legal matters.
