Donald Trump tampers with Brazil's democracy

The United States president, Donald Trump, has been employing diplomatic pressure to undermine Brazil's sovereignty and support his son, Flávio Bolsonaro, in the lead-up to October's election, according to recent reports. This follows in a long history of U.S. interference, dating back to the 1964 coup that overthrew Brazil's leftwing president, João Goulart.

On the day after the coup, U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson was the first foreign head of state to recognize the new government, sending a congratulatory message to Pascoal Ranieri Mazzilli, the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, who had been appointed president by the military. Mazzilli was later replaced by Field Marshal Humberto Castelo Branco, who installed a military dictatorship that lasted until 1985.

João Goulart, who came to power in 1961 with plans to implement agrarian reform and nationalize strategic enterprises, including oil, energy, mining, and telecommunications sectors, faced opposition from the U.S. due to his refusal to support U.S. policy towards Cuba. The CIA and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) played significant roles in financing opposition politicians and organizations ahead of Brazil's 1962 legislative election, ultimately leading to the military intervention.