MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US confident of Brazilian institutions and capacity to hold free and fair elections

US national security advisor Jack Sullivan with President Bolsonaro

“No tampering with elections or election results”, was the message from US president Joe Biden administration to Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro, according to Sao Paulo media following the visit last week of US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan.

 Sullivan visited Brazil and Argentina in a quick tour of the two main South American countries. In Argentina, US concern was centered in the ongoing financial and economic situation, plus the growing Chinese influence. In Brazil, US is worried with Bolsonaro's attacks on the electoral system which he describes as fraudulent, and threats he will not accept the election results next year if there is not a return to the traditional paper ballots.

According to Folha de Sao Paulo, Sullivan underlined the importance of not undermining trust in the Brazilian electoral system, particularly since no fraud evidence of the electronic voting system has been presented.

Bolsonaro in his campaign for a return to the traditional paper ballot voting has called members of the Supreme Electoral court, “terrorists”, “communists”, and lately s...o..bs, and has threatened not to recognize election results next year if he doesn't get his way and the system is changed to the manual counting of paper ballots.

Political analysts believe the Bolsonaro attacks respond to fears about his reelection chances next year, when he most probably will have to compete with ex president Lula da Silva, and opinion polls show the current president trailing quite distant.

In a strong release the US embassy in Brazil reported that the delegation headed by national security advisor Sullivan expressed US confidence in Brazilian institutions capacity to organize and hold free and fair elections in 2022.

Sullivan also met with the Brazilian minister of Defense, Walter Braga Netto and with his peer, Augusto Heleno, both retired generals and close members of Bolsonaro's cabinet and inner circle.

But despite the US delegation visit and comments, Bolsonaro who considers the voting machines “highly fraud vulnerable”, again called the members of the Supreme Electoral Court 'sobs' for insisting that the voting machines can be easily audited for any possible errors.