A group of 31 Democratic members of the U.S. Congress, including 30 House representatives and Senator Bernie Sanders, has sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to interfere in Brazil’s upcoming presidential election. Brazil will hold the first round of its election on October 4, with current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist leader, and Flávio Bolsonaro, a far-right senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, tied in the polls. The lawmakers argue that the Trump administration has taken actions they believe are aimed at helping Flávio Bolsonaro win. In the letter, the Democrats listed several actions by the U.S. government that they interpret as attempts to influence the election. These include economic measures like tariffs on Brazilian goods and plans to send officials to Brazil to question the reliability of its voting system. The lawmakers claim these actions are part of a broader pattern of interference in Latin American elections by the Trump administration, citing previous instances in Argentina, Honduras, and Colombia. The letter references Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Brazil last year, which he linked to Jair Bolsonaro’s legal troubles after his 2022 election loss to Lula. After being convicted and placed under house arrest, Bolsonaro was unable to run again and instead supported his son Flávio. The Democrats also mentioned new tariffs imposed in July under U.S. trade law and the planned visit by U.S. officials, which were ultimately blocked due to visa restrictions from the Lula government. Brazil’s president has publicly accused Trump of trying to interfere in its election and warned against such actions during a recent United Nations speech. The lawmakers in their letter criticized the U.S. for undermining Brazil’s democracy and damaging the relationship with a key ally and trade partner. They asked Secretary of State Rubio to confirm whether the Trump administration would respect Brazil’s election process and requested a response by October 1. The U.S. State Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.