Analysis. As America continues fighting for election integrity, another country is battling similar enemies and circumstances. Suspicions of a stolen election linger over Brazil, the biggest country in Latin America, causing massive unrest among its citizens, who see the shadow of socialism looming overhead. Rumors of widespread election fraud there are running rampant and quickly gaining traction.

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Tensions came to a head on Oct. 31, 2022, when it was declared that conservative President Jair Bolsonaro lost the election to socialist candidate Luiz (Lula) da Silva. A fiercely contested runoff election ended with da Silva capturing more than 60 million votes, which CNN claimed was “the most in Brazilian history.” Da Silva’s reelection follows a 2018 conviction for corruption and money-laundering that entangled business executives and politicians alike. He spent 19 months in prison, which disqualified him from the 2018 presidential race. Though the conviction was later annulled, the people of Brazil have not forgotten this scandal, nor have they forgotten many others. At the time of his arrest, Lula was seeking a third presidential term, vowing he would return and “transform this country.” In the past, Barack Obama has praised him as “the most popular politician on earth,” but da Silva’s close ties with China and with such socialist leaders as Nicolás Maduro have fomented distrust among the Brazilian people.      

Bolsonaro, elected in 2018, changed the country’s course by promoting conservative values. He pushed for tougher penalties for criminals, upheld gun rights, and fought against indoctrination in the public schools. When he ran for president over four years ago, he was seen as a clear threat to socialism, which had been a huge part of the country’s history. An outsider in politics, he was nicknamed the “Trump of the Tropics,” and he gained the support of many evangelical leaders in Brazil. The global media and liberal elites demonized him and his supporters, calling them fascists. Bolsonaro was almost stabbed to death at a rally and was also targeted for assassination by his enemies. Nevertheless, he managed to capture over 57 million votes and went on to win.  

Unlike previous leaders, Bolsonaro cares nothing for political correctness or for pleasing the media. As a pro-family Christian who is against abortion and same-sex marriage, he has made enemies around the world. His resistance to lockdowns and restrictions during the COVID pandemic angered globalists who have agendas to fulfill. Declaring that “Brazil belongs to God” has placed a target on his back, but he forcefully defends his position. 

Before the election, Bolsonaro voiced criticism of the electronic voting machines, insisting that the results could be manipulated. He says he believes those suspicions were confirmed when da Silva took a sudden lead at the eleventh hour. Additionally, the election came down to only a couple percentage points difference, with 50.9% going to da Silva and Bolsonaro receiving 49.1% of the vote. With such a close margin, Bolsonaro refused to concede the presidency to da Silva. Sources say he is working with authorities and cybersecurity companies to present evidence of voter fraud. Bernardo Kuster, one of Brazil’s most influential journalists, warns that the corruption goes all the way to the Supreme Electoral Court, which has squelched free speech.

An article in Reuters explains the Brazilian election system: “Brazil, like many other Latin American countries, employs a two-round system for its presidential elections. In the first round, multiple candidates take part. All the votes each candidate receives across the country are tallied. If no single candidate achieves more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates head to a run-off on a later scheduled date. … Since none of the field bagged at least half the vote, the top two — leftist former leader Lula (da Silva) and incumbent far-right president Bolsonaro — advance to the second-round election.” 

Bolsonaro claims he won 50% of the vote in the first round, held in early October. When the election advanced to the second round, more fraud occurred, he asserts, which caused him to lose the election. The people of Brazil are standing with him by staging protests around the country. In a way reminiscent of the trucker protests in Canada, the protesters are blocking roads to the airports as well as other major routes. Truckers, construction workers and farmers are participating in these blockades, protesting what they consider to be a socialist takeover. Some protesters are stationing themselves near military headquarters, in hopes of garnering military support. This would, in turn, embolden Bolsonaro’s case and could possibly lead to a recount.  

Alex Newman, a writer for The Epoch Times and editor of the Liberty Sentinel, interviewed Iago Barbosa, an adviser for the Florida Federation of Teenage Republicans. Before coming to America, Barbosa lived in Brazil when it was under socialist rule. He says that Article 42 of the Brazilian Constitution protects the rights of citizens if they are dissatisfied with the results of any election. The military, in turn, could run a new and fair one that would satisfy the people. Barbosa says the current election was rigged and that da Silva’s true goal is to take away Brazil’s sovereignty. He also stated that protesting the election results can be dangerous, because in the past those who have done so have been jailed. Fox News recently reported about this issue, explaining that “some political observers fear that Brazil’s Federal Court, the equivalent of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Supreme Electoral Court, the equivalent of the U.S. Federal Commission, have both taken broad powers to intimidate, censor, fine and even jail critics, in a move seen as an attempted check on the powers of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, his supporters and the media.” 

Da Silva’s win has not been questioned by socialist leaders such as Gustavo Petro, of Columbia; Alberto Fernandez, of Argentina; and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who offered da Silva congratulations. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he anticipates working with da Silva on mutual priorities. Joe Biden did the same, posting this message on the White House website: “I send my congratulations to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his election to be the next president of Brazil following free, fair and credible elections. I look forward to working together to continue the cooperation between our two countries in the months and years ahead.” 

Just days after Biden declared this support, he also gave a divisive speech in which he addressed American elections. “We, the people, must decide whether we will have fair and free elections and every vote counts,” Biden said. “We, the people, must decide whether we’re going to sustain a republic where reality is accepted, the law is obeyed, and your vote is truly sacred. … American democracy is under attack because the defeated former President of the United States refuses to accept the fact that he lost. He has abused his power and put the loyalty to himself before the loyalty to the Constitution. And he’s made a Big Lie an article of faith in the MAGA Republican Party… the great irony about the 2020 election is that it’s the most attacked election in our history. And yet — yet there is no election in our history that we can be more certain of the results.”  

This speech drew the ire of Americans who are fighting to expose voter fraud in the 2020 elections. Ballot harvesting, ballot trafficking, deleted election logs, illegal ballot drops, and compromised voting software have all been discovered during what federal election security officials call “the most secure elections in history.” True the Vote has worked tirelessly to present evidence to the public, at great cost to their own lives. Recently, True the Vote founder Catherine Engelbrecht and investigator Gregg Phillips were jailed for their refusal to identify an informant who helped them obtain information producing evidence that election-software company Konnech was storing election-related data on servers in China.  

As evidence continues to come out, it becomes clearer that China plays a huge role in elections around the world. Socialism is China’s friend, because the principles prop up its policies. Their aim is to aggressively assert their influence throughout Latin America and the U.S. Like Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has criticized China and its growing presence in his country, even blasting China for its role in the pandemic. This has earned him more enemies than friends in a world saturated with globalism. 

Fox Nation recently aired a special featuring Tucker Carlson, titled The China Takeover of Brazil, which documents China’s efforts to pillage Brazil’s land and natural resources. Brazil is the crown jewel of Latin America, but China needs it to build its massive empire. With millions of acres of fertile farmland, rich deposits of minerals, and forests of raw timber, Brazil can provide everything China needs to support its growth. Before Bolsonaro became president, most of Brazil’s leaders were pro-China, allowing the communist nation to invest more than $70 billion in Brazil. Already, China has secured mining and oil rights there and has also built many of its own shipping ports. Moreover, it has installed its own power company, known as State Grid, which continues laying thousands of miles of power lines throughout Brazil, even building the fourth-largest hydroelectric dam in the world. 

When all these clues are added up, the mystery reveals itself. Brazil and America face the same problem: the rise of socialism and its grip on the election systems. In each nation, those who hold conservative values are the enemy of globalists who want complete control.  

We must continue praying for election integrity, everywhere, and for leaders and citizens who will push back against an agenda that seeks to swallow up freedom, justice, and the American way. 

Lord Jesus, You did not intend for humanity to become enslaved by corrupted elections and abusive governments. We pray for nations like Brazil, countries that are being infiltrated by socialism. We ask for Your mighty hand to squash this dangerous seed that seeks to grow and spread. As we walk through the shadow of socialism, we will fear no evil, because You will have the last word.  

What similarities do you see between the 2020 elections and what is now going on in Brazil?

Angela Rodriguez is an author, blogger and home-schooling mom who studies the historical and biblical connections between Israel and the U.S. You can visit her blogs at 67owls.com and 100trumpets.com. Her latest book, Psalm 91: Under the Wings of Jesus, was released in June 2021. Photo Credit: Canva.