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Donald Trump’s government is preparing to send two senior State Department officials to Brasilia. The objective: to question the reliability of the Brazilian electronic voting system, just over two months before the presidential elections on October 4.

United States Mission

The information was published by The Washington Post, which cites American and Brazilian sources. The delegation would consist of Riley M. Barnes, deputy secretary, and Samuel Samson, deputy assistant secretary. According to the newspaper, both plan to meet with critics of the electronic ballot box system and collect information to prepare a report that calls into question the reliability of the voting mechanism.

The government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva considers the initiative an attempt to interfere in the electoral process. He assured that he will act to prevent any effect on the elections. Two senior Brazilian diplomats described the mission as:

“Completely incompatible with Brazilian democracy”

And they affirmed that the Executive will protect the integrity of the process.

Reaction and context

The State Department confirmed the trip, but avoided responding to the objective or any possible questions about the integrity of the Brazilian electoral system. The mission occurs amid tensions between Washington and Brasilia, aggravated by the tariffs imposed by the United States on Brazilian products and by the judicial process against former President Jair Bolsonaro for the alleged attempt to prevent Lula’s inauguration after the 2022 elections.

In recent days, Flavio Bolsonaro – presidential candidate and son of the former president – once again questioned the reliability of electronic ballot boxes. He returned to complaints that were already rejected by the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

The elections will pit current President Lula, who is seeking a new mandate, against Flavio Bolsonaro. The campaign is dominated by polarization and disputes over the transparency of the process. The electronic voting system continues to be supported by the TSE and international observers, who so far have not detected evidence of fraud.

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, took advantage of the correspondents’ dinner in New York to launch criticism against the press and his political adversaries. The event was held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, three months after an alleged attempted attack on Trump forced its suspension.

Criticism of the press and the opposition

Before about 700 people, Trump adopted a lighter tone than expected, although he did not stop referring to “fake news.” Between jokes, he claimed to have won the elections three times, repeating the theory of fraud in 2020 that he has never been able to prove.

“They have no idea how lucky they are. When I’m gone, they’re going to go bankrupt. Their business model will end. There won’t be anyone to report on. Nobody gives a damn about anyone else,” the president said.

The statements come in a context of tension between the White House and the media, which Trump has repeatedly described as “enemies of the people.” During his speech, he also criticized Democratic politicians and described some Republican opponents as “disloyal.”

The speech, although with a less confrontational tone than on previous occasions, made it clear that Trump maintains his strategy of discrediting the independent press and those who oppose his political agenda.

The United States Federal Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against 11 people for their alleged participation in a migrant smuggling network. The case is linked to the death of seven people who were traveling hidden in a railway container in Texas.

The victims, originally from Honduras and Mexico, died in May due to high temperatures while being transported to the interior of the country.

Details of the tragedy

According to authorities, the group boarded a train in the border city of Del Río bound for San Antonio. The smugglers abandoned the container after one of the migrants fell while opening the door.

The next day, a Union Pacific employee discovered the bodies of six people inside the container at a Laredo rail yard. A seventh victim had been left next to the tracks.

The investigation determined that the container remained completely sealed, with no ventilation or cooling system. This caused the migrants to suffer heat stroke. Among the deceased was a 14-year-old teenager.

The prosecution detailed that one of the victims managed to communicate with his relatives while he was dying inside the container.

Actions of the authority

The 11 defendants face charges of conspiracy to transport foreigners and facilitating their transfer resulting in death. Crimes that could lead to life in prison.

Nine of the alleged perpetrators have already been arrested in different operations carried out in Texas. Two remain at large. Authorities reported that those involved include US citizens and permanent residents.