US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushes to boost Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil's election

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a diplomatic campaign aimed at influencing Brazil’s October presidential election in favor of right‑wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro. According to columnist Guga Chacra, Rubio has employed measures such as suspending the visa of Brazilian ambassador Maria Luiza Viotti, threatening tariffs, and considering designating Brazilian groups as terrorist organizations, all intended to pressure the Lula administration and bolster Bolsonaro’s candidacy.

The strategy is presented as part of a broader U.S. effort to align Latin American governments with conservative, Trump‑aligned policies, extending to countries like Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Rubio’s actions are portrayed as a geopolitical contest, with a Bolsonaro victory seen as a win for the U.S. agenda and a Lula re‑election viewed as a setback.