Tweet distorts report by suggesting American intervention in the result of the Brazilian elections – 06/27/2023 – Politics

Post is misleading in claiming that the British newspaper Financial Times published that the US government “interfered in the Brazilian elections to help Lula”. Contrary to what the Twitter post states, a report published by the vehicle on June 21 of this year and translated by Sheet says that there was a campaign by the government of President Joe Biden to preserve the Brazilian electoral system and the election results from a possible coup attempt.

In the text, it is informed that there was a “discrete pressure campaign” carried out by the United States government over the course of a year to encourage political and military leaders to respect the results of the polls. Although the publication states that this move was not widely publicized, it also points out that the actions were not intended to specifically benefit any of the presidential candidates.

“The objective was to reinforce two consistent messages for restless Brazilian generals and Bolsonaro’s close allies: Washington was neutral on the outcome of the election, but would not tolerate any attempt to question the voting process or the result,” the text points out.

Unlike what the tweet verified by Projeto Comprova states, the report is not about an action to promote the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), but rather a response to a fear of the Biden administration that there could be an event in Brazil like what happened at the Capitol, in the United States, on January 6, 2021.

“It was almost an entire year of strategy put into practice with a very specific objective in view — not to support one Brazilian candidate or another, but strongly focused on the electoral process, on ensuring that the process worked,” the former senior official told the newspaper. State Department official and former US Ambassador to Brazil, Michael McKinley.

Misleading, for Comprova, is content removed from the original context and used in another so that its meaning undergoes changes; that uses inaccurate data or that induces an interpretation different from the author’s intention; content that is confusing, with or without the deliberate intent to cause harm.

Reach

Comprova investigates suspicious content with greater reach on social networks. As of June 27, 2023, the analyzed tweet had been viewed 305,000 times, received 13,900 likes and 3,300 shares.

How do we check

Searching on Google for the terms “Financial Times”, “Lula” and “Brazil” we found the original report published by the British newspaper. We also found the translation of the content, made by Sheet and Valor Econômico.

What the person responsible for the publication says

When contacted by the report, the author of the verified tweet replied, after exposing the conversation with the reporter who contacted her on her networks: “I clarify that I am a journalist, lawyer and Brazilian citizen aware of my rights and duties provided for in the Federal Constitution” and that “each A conscientious citizen must shoulder his rights and duties, including you and your group”.

The @flferronato profile has already had publications previously verified by Comprova, such as a post that was misleading in suggesting that the Butantan Institute had not reported the death of a volunteer vaccinating against Covid-19.

What can we learn from this check

Content trying to discredit the 2022 elections —such as the one seen here, which talks about US interference in the Brazilian result— has been circulating since last year and it has already been proven and widely publicized that the election took place within the law. So, when you come across any such publication, consider whether it makes sense and, when in doubt, look for information in professional press vehicles.

The author of the tweet verified here uses real information, produced by the international professional press, and distorts it to corroborate a narrative that there was alleged international interference in the outcome of the Brazilian elections in 2022. Reading the original content, or its translation, enough to discover that this misinterpretation does not hold. This demonstrates the importance of seeking the original source of the cited information.

why do we investigate

Comprova monitors suspicious content published on social networks and messaging apps about public policies and elections at the federal level and opens investigations for those publications that have achieved greater reach and engagement. You can also suggest checks via WhatsApp +55 11 97045-4984. Suggestions and questions related to questionable content can also be sent to Sheet via WhatsApp 11 99486-0293.

Other checks on the topic

Comprova has already checked several publications that try to question last year’s elections. It checked, for example, that the video of Ballot Boxes that show Jair Bolsonaro with more votes than Lula does not prove fraud and that it is false that the totalization of votes every 12% indicates fraud in the 1st round of elections.

The investigation of this content was carried out by Folha and A Gazeta and published on June 27 by Projeto Comprova, a coalition that brings together 41 vehicles to check viral content. It was verified by O Popular, Plural Curitiba and Estadão.