Brazil launches probe into alleged Trump administration plan to fund far-right causes in the country

Brazil's attorney general has instructed police to probe allegations that the Trump administration intended to funnel $1 million in U.S. funds towards far-right causes in Brazil, according to a statement made on Thursday. The alleged scheme has raised significant concerns about Brazilian sovereignty, said Attorney General Jorge Messias, particularly as the country prepares for a crucial presidential election later this month.

The election pits incumbent leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against Flavio Bolsonaro, the right-wing son and political heir of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Lula has emphasized Brazil's independence from external meddling throughout his campaign, cautioning against Trump's efforts to influence the nation's political landscape.

The Guardian newspaper exposed the alleged plan, prompting the attorney general's office to emphasize that such attempts to interfere with Brazilian institutions are utterly intolerable. The probe comes amid growing tensions between the U.S. and Brazil, further complicated by the former administration's sanctions against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the trial of Jair Bolsonaro following his failed 2022 coup attempt.