Brazil's President Lula warns the US against meddling in Brazil's upcoming elections. His comments follow a meeting with Donald Trump at the G7 conference in France.
Key points
Lula warns against US interference in Brazil's elections
Brazil's presidential elections are in October
Lula and Trump met at the G7 conference in France
Lula acknowledges Trump's relationship with the Bolsonaro family
Mentioned in this story
Luiz Inacio Lula da SilvaDonald TrumpGroup of 7Jair Bolsonaro
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has warned that the United States should not interfere in his country’s upcoming presidential race, which is being held in October.
Wednesday’s remarks came after both Lula and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, attended the Group of 7 (G7) conference in Evian-les-Bains, France.
During a news conference, Lula said Trump was entitled to continue his relationship with the Bolsonaro family, whose patriarch, Jair Bolsonaro, led Brazil as president from 2019 to 2023.
“As far as I’m concerned, he can continue liking Bolsonaro, the father, the son, the grandson,” Lula said. “There is no problem with that. It’s his problem. There’s no accounting for taste.”
But Lula then proceeded to establish a firm red line: no interference in Brazil’s elections.
“Now, don’t meddle in the Brazilian elections, because the Brazilian elections are a Brazilian problem, just as American elections are their business, not mine,” Lula continued.
“All I want is the same respect for Brazil that I have for the United States. That’s it.”
US President Donald Trump arrives as India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (R) attend a morning work meeting to “revive balanced, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth for the benefit of all” in the presence of the G7 countries, partner countries, the International Monetary Fund, and the OECD, as part of the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on June 17, 2026.
US President Donald Trump arrives on June 17 to a G7 meeting where India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, are already seated [AFP]
A race between Lula and Bolsonaro
Lula is currently a leading contender ahead of October’s race. If the left-wing incumbent wins, it will be his fourth term as president of Brazil. He previously served from 2003 to 2011, before being re-elected to a non-consecutive third term in 2022.
But Lula’s top election rival is a member of the Bolsonaro family: Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, Jair’s eldest son. Flavio is running as the candidate for Brazil’s far-right Liberal Party.
Q&A
What did Lula say about US interference in Brazil's elections?
Lula warned that the United States should not interfere in Brazil's upcoming presidential race.
When are Brazil's presidential elections scheduled?
Brazil's presidential elections are scheduled for October.
What was the context of Lula's remarks to Trump?
Lula's remarks came after both he and Trump attended the G7 conference in France.
What is Lula's stance on Trump's relationship with the Bolsonaro family?
Lula stated that Trump is entitled to maintain his relationship with the Bolsonaro family, but emphasized no interference in elections.
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But in Brazil, questions have swirled as to whether Trump’s actions have already amounted to illegal intervention in the country’s judicial system.
Trump has made little secret of his support for the Bolsonaro family. Last year, after Jair Bolsonaro was charged with seeking to overturn his electoral defeat in 2022, Trump issued a public letter calling the trial a “witch hunt”.
“The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace,” Trump wrote. “This Trial should not be taking place.”
He proceeded to impose tariffs on certain Brazilian goods and sanctions on members of Brazil’s justice system, including Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
In September, Jair Bolsonaro was nevertheless sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting an alleged coup and seeking to subvert Brazil’s democracy.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Council President Antonio Costa, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Japan's Prime minister Sanae Takaichi, Switzerland's President Guy Parmelin, Switzerland's first lady Caroline Merotto, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung, France's President Emmanuel Macron, South Korea's first lady Kim Hea Kyung, France's first lady Brigitte Macron, Britain's first lady Victoria Starmer, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others pose for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
World leaders, including Lula (third from left) and Trump (second from right), pose for a group photo at the G7 summit, on June 16 [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo]
Trump calls Brazil ‘rough’
But the legal fallout has continued for the Bolsonaro family. After Jair’s third son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, lobbied the Trump administration on his father’s behalf, he was accused of orchestrating US interference in Brazil’s justice system.
Just this week, he was sentenced to four years in prison, after Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled his actions amounted to coercion. Eduardo has denied the charges and called the case a conflict of interest for Brazil’s courts.
Speaking at the G7 summit, Trump tried to address Eduardo’s sentence, though he appeared to mix the younger brother up with his older sibling, Flavio, the presidential candidate.
“ I hear they arrested somebody that’s running for office today,” Trump said. “ I heard that they arrested the Bolsonaro junior, who was doing well in the polls.”
Trump also suggested that Brazil had become “dangerous” for right-wing political views, an idea he has expressed before.
“It’s become a little rough country, right? Politically. A little dangerous, politically,” Trump said at one point.
At another, he appeared to compare the US election system to Brazil’s. “ They play pretty tough, but nobody plays tougher than the United States. Look, our elections are totally rigged. We have rigged elections,” he said.
But at Lula’s news conference, which was held separately, the Brazilian president dismissed concerns about the country’s electronic voting machines.
He called paper ballots a technology “of the last century” and offered to show Trump — a critic of electronic vote tabulation — how the machines work.
Reflecting on Trump’s assessment of Brazil, Lula also questioned the US president’s familiarity with the South American nation.
“I think he doesn’t know Brazil very well,” Lula said. “If he knows Brazil only through his relationship with the Bolsonaro family, then he doesn’t really know Brazil.”
