Lula Accuses Trump of Seeking to 'Colonise' Brazil

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s presidential campaign has accused Donald Trump of attempting to 'colonise' Brazil to seize its natural resources by interfering in the upcoming election. The claim was made in a televised campaign advertisement aired on Thursday.

The ad, which features a female narrator, asserts that Trump is trying to influence the election in favor of Lula’s far-right opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, to serve U.S. interests in South America. The narrator states that Trump’s goal is to 'take our riches, steal our future and leave us in the dust.'

The U.S. State Department has denied allegations of interference, calling them a 'baseless lie.' In a statement last month, the department said any suggestion of a 'ploy' to undermine Brazil’s election is unfounded.

Lula, who is currently serving as Brazil’s president, has also accused Bolsonaro, his former ally, of wanting to 'hand our natural resources over to the United States.' He warned that if Bolsonaro wins, Brazil could become a 'colony again.'

With the first round of the election less than a week away, Lula and Bolsonaro are closely matched in the polls. A second round will be held on 25 October if no candidate secures a majority. Recent weeks have seen growing concerns about U.S. efforts to influence the outcome through diplomatic and economic pressure, including 25% tariffs on Brazilian imports.

Lula also criticized U.S. interference at the UN General Assembly, stating that Brazil would not allow 'enemies of democracy' to undermine the will of the people. A group of Democratic lawmakers recently wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accusing the Trump administration of launching a 'sustained, multifaceted campaign of interference and destabilisation' in Brazil.