Brazil’s spy agency, Abin, met with a French‑German delegation in Brasília from September 9‑11 to discuss alleged foreign interference in Brazil’s upcoming election. The officials were briefed on what Abin described as interference from the United States and Russia.
According to a report compiled by an attendee, the United States’ alleged actions ranged “from lawfare to interference that is openly acknowledged,” while details on Russian activities were not disclosed.
Context of the Brazilian election
The first round of Brazil’s presidential election is scheduled for Sunday, pitting incumbent left‑leaning President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against right‑wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest for plotting a coup after the 2022 vote.
U.S. officials have denied any attempt to meddle in Brazil’s elections. The State Department declined to comment, and Russia’s embassy also did not respond to requests for comment.
EU delegation’s broader agenda
The French and German officials were part of an EU delegation focused on implementing the Digital Services Act, which seeks to curb illegal and harmful online content. The delegation also aimed to coordinate responses ahead of the 2026 elections, according to a document seen by Reuters.
French participants included representatives from Viginum, a foreign disinformation‑detection agency, and the media regulator Arcom. German attendees came from the Federal Network Agency, which oversees telecoms, energy, rail and postal services.
Germany’s Federal Network Agency noted that possible U.S. meddling in German elections was not discussed during the meeting.
Rising cyber threats
A senior Brazilian cyber official, speaking anonymously, said cyber‑attacks in Brazil have nearly doubled compared with 2025, with a sharp rise in hacks and phishing attempts targeting the president’s office, which the official described as clearly “election‑related.”
The briefing underscores growing concern among European partners about U.S. support for right‑wing candidates worldwide, a trend that has drawn criticism from officials in France and Germany.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
