Brazil’s presidential election has moved to a second round following the first round of voting held this past Sunday. The runoff, scheduled for October 25, will feature a contest between the incumbent left-wing President Lula da Silva and conservative Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. The results of the first round were considered a surprise, as Flavio Bolsonaro finished ahead of the president.

Throughout the campaign period, the specter of foreign influence has been a recurring theme. Specifically, there have been widespread suspicions regarding the role of the United States in the Brazilian electoral process. These concerns are largely tied to the public relationship between former U.S. President Donald Trump and the Bolsonaro family. Donald Trump has maintained a well-documented closeness to the former president, Flavio Bolsonaro’s father, while simultaneously expressing clear animosity toward President Lula da Silva. While these concerns have been a point of discussion during the campaign, the extent to which U.S. actors have attempted to influence the outcome remains a subject of speculation rather than verified intervention.