Brazil Demands Investigation Into Alleged US Funding of Far-Right Political Groups

Brazil’s attorney general has urged law enforcement agencies to investigate alleged attempts by the United States to interfere in domestic Brazilian politics through the diversion of funds toward far-right causes. Attorney General Jorge Messias announced the push for an inquiry following a report by the British newspaper The Guardian, which suggested that the administration of United States President Donald Trump planned to allocate $1m to right-wing civil groups opposing the Brazilian Supreme Court.

Messias declared in a social media statement that foreign intervention “cannot be tolerated” and that the findings serve as “an important alert for Brazilian sovereignty.” The development unfolds during a fiercely contested presidential election cycle where leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva campaigns for re-election, frequently drawing attention to Trump's efforts to bolster far-right allies across Latin America.

Trump has backed several right-wing figures throughout the region, occasionally conditioning economic support on electoral outcomes, and has maintained close ties with the family of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of the former president and a leading challenger to Lula in the current race, previously met with Trump at the White House in May, promising stronger bilateral relations. Meanwhile, Lula has criticized Trump’s interventionist approach to Latin American security and politics.

According to The Guardian report, the Trump administration sought to reallocate $175m from the State Department’s human rights fund to support global far-right initiatives. These allegedly included groups advocating for white Afrikaners in South Africa alongside Brazilian efforts to combat what the US termed “lawfare and censorship.”

The Brazilian Supreme Court has faced ongoing criticism from right-wing factions both domestically and internationally, heavily driven by the 2025 conviction of Jair Bolsonaro for his role in an alleged coup plot following his 2022 election defeat. Following his conviction and subsequent 27-year prison sentence handed down in September 2025, Trump and allied figures have characterized the proceedings as political persecution, previously resulting in retaliatory tariffs and visa revocations against Brazilian judicial officials.