Lula to confront Trump at UN over Brazil election interference

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Wednesday he will use his speech at the UN General Assembly next Tuesday to tell Donald Trump "not to meddle in Brazil's elections" scheduled for October. Lula made the remarks at a campaign rally in Ceilândia, a working-class district of Brasília, where he is seeking re-election.

The two leaders are scheduled to speak consecutively at the Assembly in New York, making a hallway encounter likely, though Brazil's Foreign Ministry said no formal bilateral meeting is currently planned. A similar brief exchange occurred in 2025.

“I will go to the UN meeting to have a chat with Trump and tell him: do not meddle in Brazil's elections.”

Lula and right-wing senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and a Trump ally, are polling in a technical tie ahead of a likely runoff on October 25. Lula has accused the Bolsonaro family of lobbying Washington for measures harmful to his government.

Tensions escalated after the US imposed two rounds of tariffs on Brazilian goods in July, which Lula denounced as election interference. Washington has also accused Brazil of failing to combat criminal factions PCC and CV, recently designating them as terrorist groups.

According to presidential aides, Lula's address will focus on sovereignty, non-interference, climate change, and global conflicts, avoiding direct naming of foreign leaders while delivering clear diplomatic messages. The speech is expected to last 15 to 20 minutes.