The U.S. State Department allocated US$1 million to fund networks with the aim of interfering in the Brazilian political debate, The Guardian revealed.

On Sunday, Brazilian Federal Police Director Andrei Rodrigues announced that his institution is investigating possible external interference by the United States in the institutions of the South American country.

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“It is an investigation underway, a preliminary proceeding. The resolution of the inquiry has not been published, but we already have an investigation underway,” he said, clarifying that the complaint was referred to the Federal Police Intelligence Directorate “to begin inquiries.”

Rodrigues spoke to the media during a visit to the Federal Highway Police in Brasilia, from where security forces are overseeing the coordinated operation during election day.

The ongoing investigation stems from a request made on Thursday by the government attorney’s office to the Federal Police and the Attorney General’s Office, following a report by The Guardian.

The British outlet maintains that the U.S. State Department diverted $1 million from the Human Rights and Democracy Fund to the “Combating Lawfare and Censorship in Brazil” program.

The U.S. funds allegedly were intended to finance networks and organizations on Brazilian territory in order to interfere in the political debate and “destabilize and undermine the institutional framework of the Brazilian judiciary,” according to the document issued by the Brazilian government agency.

U.S. punitive measures against Brazil have been recurrent since Trump took office, with tariffs imposed on a large portion of the South American country’s imports and targeted sanctions against members of the Supreme Court in an attempt to derail the trial against former President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022).

On Sunday, Rodrigues also addressed security at diplomatic facilities following the temporary suspension Friday of consular services at the U.S. and Australian embassies for security reasons.

“We did not find any concrete element indicating an actual risk to any embassy. The evidence gathered yesterday does not point to anything concrete or to the existence of any plan that we have identified,” he said.

On Friday, Brazilian Federal Police officers carried out, as a preventive measure, two search and seizure warrants in São Paulo and in areas surrounding the Federal District. The police said they would analyze the seized communications and computer equipment to determine the next steps.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – The Guardian

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