Lula To Tell Trump At UN: ‘Stay Out’ Of Brazil’s Elections

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday that he plans to tell US President Donald Trump not to interfere in Brazil’s upcoming elections when the two leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly next week.

Lula is scheduled to address the annual gathering of world leaders in New York on Tuesday, where he could cross paths with Trump. The US president has expressed support for right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, who is challenging Lula in Brazil’s October election.

“I’m going to the UN meeting to have a conversation with Trump and tell him: don’t meddle in the elections in Brazil,” Lula said during a campaign stop in Ceilandia, a working-class area of Brasilia.

Brazilian Foreign Ministry official Carlos Bicalho Cozendey said Wednesday that there was currently “no specific bilateral meeting” scheduled between Lula and Trump. However, he said the two leaders would “probably cross paths at the Assembly,” as they did last year.

Lula Accuses US Of Election Pressure

Relations between Brasilia and Washington have deteriorated over US trade measures against Brazil.

The United States imposed two additional rounds of tariffs on Brazilian products in July. Lula has criticised the measures as an attempt to influence Brazil’s elections through economic pressure.

Tensions between the Trump administration and Lula’s government began escalating in 2025, when Washington introduced its first tariffs on Brazilian goods.

The measures came amid the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally and the father of Flavio Bolsonaro. Jair Bolsonaro was later convicted over allegations that he sought to stage a coup to overturn his electoral defeat.

Lula’s comments come as Brazil heads toward a closely watched October election, with the dispute over US involvement and trade policy adding another point of tension between Brasilia and Washington.