Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has called for all Brazilian presidential candidates to accept the results of their election.
In an apparent swipe at former President Donald Trump, who has refused to acknowledge President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, Sanders implored Brazilian candidates to “respect the results” because “democracies all over the world are under attack” at a moment of increased global authoritarianism.
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A voz do eleitor brasileiro será ouvida e tem que ser respeitada. Mensagem do senador americano @SenSanders sobre as eleições no Brasil. #equipeLula pic.twitter.com/K8rmB7D2KH
— Lula 13 (@LulaOficial) September 29, 2022
“At a time where democracies all over the world are under attack and we are seeing nations move toward authoritarianism, I do want to let you know how important your election is, not only to the people of Brazil but to all those who care about and respect democracy,” Sanders says in a video posted by left-wing Brazilian presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday. “As the largest democracy in Latin America, your nation stands as an important example to the world of a stable and fair electoral system. It is one where the winners and the losers must respect the results, and political violence or the threat of political violence is unacceptable.”
Sanders did not make an endorsement for the election, saying it would be “absolutely inappropriate” to do so as a U.S. citizen.
The message by Sanders appears to be a jab against Trump, who has claimed that he won the 2020 presidential election. Sanders also called “political violence or the threat of political violence” unacceptable, an apparent reference to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in which Trump supporters breached the Capitol as Congress was certifying the 2020 election results.
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The first round of the Brazilian presidential election takes place Oct. 2, with a second round consisting of the top two candidates scheduled to take place on Oct. 30 if no candidate receives 50% of the vote in the first round.
The top two candidates in the race are expected to be incumbent right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and da Silva. The latter was sentenced to prison time for corruption charges, but his conviction was annulled by the country’s supreme court after the court found the judge who oversaw the trial was biased.
