The Lula government is concerned about the possibility of the 2026 Brazilian presidential election becoming a major battleground for US President Donald Trump’s influence in Latin America
Aides at the Presidential Palace see Brazil as a central piece in the United States’ geopolitical strategy in the region.
According to information published by the Metrópoles portal, the fear increased after Trump demonstrated an interest in participating more actively in Latin American political affairs.
A recent example was the declared support by the American president for a conservative candidate in the Colombian elections.
At the Presidential Palace, the main concern is not just a possible public statement by Trump about Brazil.
What worries Lula’s allies most is the impact that an eventual explicit support from the US president for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro could have on the Brazilian conservative electorate.
For the government, Trump has made Latin America a priority in his foreign policy.
The Colombian election is being closely monitored as a “thermometer” to understand the extent to which Washington intends to get involved in the region’s electoral disputes.
Beyond electoral issues, other recent actions by the United States have also generated concerns in BrasÃlia, such as trade investigations that could lead to new tariffs on Brazilian products and a tougher stance on issues like security, organized crime, and technology.
Government members recognize Brazil’s strategic importance-due to its economic size, population, geopolitical position, and mineral reserves-making it a more relevant target than other countries in the region.
Even so, to date there has been no public statement from Trump in favor of Flávio Bolsonaro.
Current concern is based on possible scenarios, not concrete facts.
The mere risk of a clearer alignment between Trump and the Brazilian conservative camp has been enough to put the issue on the Planalto’s radar and increase the government’s attention to the 2026 election.
Published in 06/09/2026 17h14
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
Reference article: