World
Trump questions Lula's electoral victory in Brazil
The former U.S. president alleged without evidence that Brazil's election appeared "rigged" and "highly corrupt", while Chilean President Kast congratulated Lula.
Donald Trump questioned the results of Brazil's presidential election following Lula da Silva's victory. The former U.S. president claimed the poll appeared "rigged" and "highly corrupt", saying it looked "terrible". Trump alleged he had not taken sides with any candidate, but insisted on his accusations without providing evidence of alleged irregularities.
In his remarks, Trump also questioned the length of the election, describing it as "strange". Despite his criticism of the electoral process, the former U.S. president noted that he gets along well with Lula da Silva.
Lula secured victory in the second round of the presidential election, winning by more than three percentage points over Flávio Bolsonaro. According to reports, the winning candidate received more than 64 million votes, an unprecedented figure in Brazil, with a margin of 4.4 million votes.
Trump's questioning adds to the challenges filed by Flávio Bolsonaro, who has sought to overturn his defeat. Research centers have highlighted the scarcity of fraud in the Brazilian election, in contrast to allegations from the former U.S. president.
Chilean President Gabriel Kast held a conversation with Lula following the second round of the presidential election. Kast congratulated the Brazilian leader and expressed that Chile and Brazil "have much common future ahead".
Lula's victory in Brazil also affected regional geopolitical plans. According to reports, Brazil and Uruguay distanced themselves from the Shield of the Americas proposed by Trump, amid a situation that leaves Venezuela as a geopolitical question mark in the region.