The President of the United States, Donald Trump, today predicted a second “very close” round of the Brazilian presidential elections, between Flávio Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
© Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images
05/10/2026
by
Lusa
“ Ci say that it will be very close elections”, the head of state replied to journalists in the White House, after having ensured last week that he was following those elections “very closely”.
The Republican president avoided commenting on the result of the first round, held on Sunday, in which the extreme right-wing opposing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro imposed himself by two points of advantage over the left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with whom will compete the second round.
“There will be a second round. I think everyone expected there to be, so we will see what happens,” the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists hours earlier.
In recent months, the Trump administration has imposed tariffs on most Brazilian products and has adopted diplomatic and political measures against the South American country, including the withdrawal of the visa to the Brazilian ambassador in Washington.
Lula's government denounced these actions as an attempt to intervene in favour of Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Trump's ally and sentenced to prison for attempted coup.
Last Friday, the United States suspended its consular services in Brazil for “security reasons”, activities that resumed this Monday after the elections.
Since his return to power in January 2025, Trump has campaigned for right-wing candidates in Latin America and has even attributed himself to merit for his victories, as in the case of Colombian Abelardo de la Espriella.