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Former US President Donald Trump stated on Monday that Brazil's elections were "rigged" and "very corrupt," following the victory of leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over his right-wing ally Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro's defeat marks a setback for Trump after a year and a half of resounding conservative victories in Latin America.
"I thought it was terrible," Trump told reporters as he left Washington for a campaign rally for the U.S. midterm legislative elections.
"I didn't take sides, but, frankly, it looked like another rigged election... it looked so corrupt, so terrible," he asserted.
Trump has questioned his 2020 presidential defeat—labeling it rigged—and has cast doubt on the November 3 midterm legislative elections in the United States, in which his Republican Party risks losing control of Congress.
An ally of the Bolsonaro family, Trump clearly hoped for a victory for Jair.
"Elections have to be indisputable and I thought it looked very bad," Trump continued.
But Trump was evasive when asked if he planned to take any action regarding the Brazilian result.
"I am not running in Brazil, I am running in the United States," the Republican said.
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"I like Lula, I get along very well with him. I just thought it gave a very negative image the way it was counted—with the extension."
The Brazilian election day, which all observers saw as very close, suffered a dramatic moment when the polls were about to close, and Lula's campaign requested a two-hour extension, citing transportation problems in some regions.
The extension of hours was decided by a Supreme Court judge, which sparked protests from Bolsonaro.
Despite his closeness to the Bolsonaros, Trump has also shown a strange sympathy for Lula, stating that, despite turbulent trade relations, he and the veteran leftist leader, both in their 80s, have "excellent chemistry."
[Publicidad]