US Officials Accused of Running Covert Campaign to Influence Brazil's Presidential Election

There have been major revelations about Brazil's presidential election. Two top U.S. State Department officials have been seriously accused of running a covert campaign to bring Brazil's right-wing Bolsonaro family back to power. Ten current and former U.S. officials with direct knowledge have been quoted as claiming that the intelligence campaign advocated tough sanctions and strategic moves aimed directly at blocking incumbent left-wing President Lula da Silva and tilting the election race in favor of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Darren Beatty and Ricardo Pitta, two key officials involved in the campaign. Darren Beatty was overseeing Brazil policy as a senior adviser on Western Hemisphere affairs, while Ricardo Pitta was promoted this year to deputy assistant secretary of state for North America. However, it is unclear whether they were acting on direct orders from the White House or Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Former President Jair Bolsonaro has not publicly endorsed a candidate close to Trump.