Ahead of Brazil’s Elections, Members of U.S. Congress Press for Answers on U.S. Actions Toward Brazil

Letter to Marco Rubio questions recent diplomatic, economic, and political measures and asks whether the U.S. government will respect Brazil’s electoral process and recognize the certified outcome of the 2026 elections.

Brazil Office, September 24 — Ten days before the first round of Brazil’s elections, scheduled for October 4, members of the U.S. Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio seeking explanations about the U.S. government’s policy toward Brazil and asking whether Washington will commit to respecting the country’s 2026 electoral process and recognizing its officially certified outcome.

The letter, signed by 31 members of Congress and led by Democratic Representative Delia Ramirez of Illinois, opens by expressing “grave concern” over what its signatories describe as a coordinated effort by the U.S. administration that could threaten the strategic relationship between the two countries and “undermine the Western Hemisphere’s second-largest democracy” ahead of Brazil’s presidential election. The document comes amid a months-long mobilization by civil society organizations defending Brazilian democracy, coordinated by the Alliance Brazil Office, which included a political and institutional agenda in Washington in July.

Tracing the recent deterioration in relations between the two countries, the letter goes back to 2025 and brings together a series of episodes that, in the authors’ assessment, show an escalation of pressure on Brazilian institutions. These include the imposition of tariffs and sanctions in the context of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s trial before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, as well as subsequent trade measures adopted by the United States. The letter also cites the appointment of Darren Beattie to work on Brazil-related issues at the State Department and links recent U.S. statements and initiatives to broader concerns about Brazil’s political process.

The document focuses on developments during the current electoral cycle. Lawmakers cite the meeting between President Donald Trump and Senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and note that, following the meeting, the State Department designated the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) as foreign terrorist organizations. The letter describes concerns raised in Brazil about the potential consequences of that decision and places it within a broader context of tensions between the two countries.

Another episode highlighted in the letter is the attempted visit to Brazil by two State Department officials working on democracy and human rights. According to the letter, the delegation intended to raise questions about the integrity of Brazil’s electoral system; after the officials were denied entry into the country, the U.S. administration revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to Washington. For the signatories, this sequence of events heightens concerns about potential forms of pressure on Brazil in the weeks leading up to the election.

From the 2022 Elections to the 2026 Political Landscape

The letter also draws an explicit contrast with the United States' position during Brazil’s 2022 elections. It recalls that, at the time, U.S. officials and lawmakers publicly supported respect for the election results and that Washington swiftly recognized Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory. It also references international support for Brazil’s democratic institutions following the January 8, 2023 attacks.

For the authors, the current landscape represents a shift. They argue that diplomatic, economic, and political actions taken by the current U.S. administration could weaken democratic institutions, undermine confidence in Brazil’s electoral process, and cause lasting damage to the relationship between Brazil and the United States. The letter also places these concerns within a broader regional context and recalls the history of U.S. involvement in Brazil’s 1964 military coup and its subsequent support for the military dictatorship.

Based on this assessment, the lawmakers submit a series of formal requests for clarification to the State Department. They seek information on the criteria used for sanctions related to Brazil, including the application of the Global Magnitsky Act to Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes; the rationale for designating the PCC and CV as foreign terrorist organizations; the coordination of U.S. democracy and human rights policy in the region; and the decision to revoke the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States.

The final two questions focus directly on the October elections.

“Will the Administration commit to respecting Brazil’s electoral process?” the signatories ask.

They then ask whether the U.S. administration will commit to “recognizing the certified outcome of Brazil’s 2026 democratic elections” and maintaining normal diplomatic relations with whichever candidate Brazilian voters legitimately choose.

The members of Congress request substantive responses from the State Department by October 1st, four days before the first round of Brazil’s elections.

Civil Society Efforts That Predate the Letter

Brazilian civil society organizations have discussed the issues now formally raised with the State Department for months in dialogue with institutions and stakeholders in the United States.

In July, representatives of 15 Brazilian civil society organizations traveled to Washington and New York for meetings with U.S. lawmakers and congressional staff, diplomats, representatives of the Organization of American States (OAS), academics, trade union representatives, journalists, and local civil society organizations. During the visit, the group defended the reliability of Brazil’s electoral system, called on the United States to refrain from interfering in the electoral process, and urged U.S. authorities to recognize the winner of Brazil’s presidential election, “whoever that may be,” once the vote count is completed.

Civil society organizations have carried out this effort in a coordinated manner, with the support of the Alliance Brazil Office (WBO), Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), in dialogue with a range of political and institutional actors in the United States.

The letter now sent to the Secretary of State brings to the U.S. Congress issues already raised through this dialogue: respect for Brazil’s sovereignty, the integrity of its electoral process, and the sovereign decision of Brazilian voters at the ballot box.

The Alliance Brazil Office (WBO) is making the full text of the letter available to the press.

List of organizations and social movements in the delegation:

Articulation of Indigenous Peoples (APIB), Arns Commission, CUT (Unified Workers' Central), Direitos Já, GIFE (Group of Institutes, Foundations, and Companies), Instituto Futuro, Marielle Franco Institute, Vladimir Herzog Institute, IP.rec (Recife Institute for Research on Law and Technology), LAPIN (Laboratory on Public Policy and the Internet), Homeless Workers' Movement (MTST), Odara (Black Women's Institute), and Plataforma CIPÓ. 

Supporting local organizations:

 4H5H MEDIA, Amazon Watch, BRASA – Brazilian Studies Association, CEPR – Center for Economic and Policy Research, Defend Democracy in Brazil Committee - New York (DDB-NY), Amnesty International USA, Fundación Avina, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Instituto Libera, USNDB – US Network for Democracy in Brazil, WOLA – Washington Office on Latin America, and Brazilian Women’s Group.