On October 1st local time, the Brazilian Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (AGU) demanded that the Federal Police and the Federal Attorney General conduct an investigation to determine whether the US government had interfered in Brazilian elections by providing funding to Brazilian civil organizations, thereby undermining the legitimacy of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court.
This matter stems from a report by the British newspaper The Guardian on September 30th, which revealed an American State Department-funded project. According to the report, the U.S. State Department’s “Human Rights and Democracy Fund” intends to allocate $1 million for a project called “Opposition Against Brazilian Laws and Censorship,” to support civil groups that oppose what they call “judicial overreach” and “censorship” by Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court.
Brazilian Federal Public Prosecutor Secretary José Mecias stated that the relevant reports constitute an 'important warning to Brazil's sovereignty'. He said that given the upcoming presidential elections in Brazil, such information is particularly serious. It is unacceptable for foreign political interests to attempt to interfere with the operation of Brazilian state institutions or to directly or indirectly influence the choices of Brazilian voters.
According to the Brazilian National Communication Agency, the AGU has submitted relevant materials to the Federal Police and the Federal Public Prosecution Office, requesting an assessment of whether any legal violations have occurred.
The Guardian reported that the U.S. State Department has allocated funds for the relevant project, but the U.S. has not yet confirmed whether the funds have been actually disbursed. The U.S. State Department stated that the project is still in the review phase, and the final beneficiary will still need to undergo further examination.
