Lula’s party accuses Meta of election interference ahead of Brazil runoff

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's party plans to file a complaint with the Organization of American States (OAS) alleging interference in his 2022 election campaign, according to a report by his campaign on Wednesday. The leftist leader is running for a fourth nonconsecutive term in an October runoff election against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of the country's former far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro.

The leftist party claims that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has been restricting Lula's online content, which they say has negatively impacted his campaign reach. However, Meta denies these allegations, stating they are "simply false" and not supported by facts.

Lula's communications secretary, Eden Valadares, told reporters that the leftist leader has ordered the filing of the complaint to denounce Meta before the international community, starting with the OAS. The incumbent's campaign has also called for a meeting with international election observers on Thursday to discuss the alleged interference.

Lula has accused the United States of attempting to interfere in the elections in favor of Flavio Bolsonaro, whose father is a close ally of US President Donald Trump. Despite not using a mobile phone, Lula launched a social media push following the first round of voting, featuring videos of him addressing his online followers.