On Tuesday (Aug. 4), the Federal District Civil Police launched Operation Interrupted Network against a group under investigation for discussing plans to carry out violent attacks during the 2026 election period.

According to the police, the suspects shared manuals on how to manufacture explosives. Messages analyzed during the investigation revealed repeated references to Brasília as the destination for a planned mobilization during the election period.

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The investigation also identified the sharing of manuals for manufacturing explosive devices.

In addition, the group discussed building break-ins, target selection, tactical training, interstate recruitment, map analysis, and the sharing of architectural floor plans and three-dimensional models of buildings in the central area of the country’s capital.

The operation targeted eight suspects, aged 19 to 31, in the states of Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Pernambuco, and Rio Grande do Sul.

With the support of investigators from these states, the probe aims to clarify the group’s level of organization and the stage of development of the planned actions.

Precautionary measures were adopted to preserve digital and physical evidence, seize electronic devices, identify possible unknown connections, and gather additional evidence to advance the investigation.

The investigation is examining possible offenses, in theory, including criminal association, incitement to commit a crime, glorification of a crime or criminal, and offenses provided for under anti-racism legislation.

The police reported that the facts have not yet been classified under the Anti-Terrorism Law, but that the investigation is continuing to identify the perpetrators, establish the material elements, and determine the circumstances of possible criminal offenses.

Elections

The first round of the Brazilian elections will take place on October 3. Voters will elect the president, governors of the states and the Federal District, senators, and federal, state, and district representatives.

The Workers’ Party (PT) formally nominated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as its presidential candidate at a convention held on Sunday (Aug. 2) in São Paulo.

Geraldo Alckmin of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) was confirmed as Lula’s running mate, reuniting the ticket that won the 2022 presidential election. If elected, Lula will begin his fourth term as president.

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Alongside the PSB, the PT’s coalition for the 2026 presidential election includes the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), the Green Party (PV), the Democratic Labor Party (PDT), the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL), and the Sustainability Network (Rede).

In his opening speech at the PT National Convention, party president Edinho Silva emphasized that the upcoming Brazilian election will have a significant impact on Latin America and the world. He added that the vote will determine the country’s sovereignty in the face of possible “interventionism.”

Former Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and First Lady Janja Silva also addressed the convention.

President Lula closed the event with a speech lasting more than an hour. “What motivates a government to win elections is whether its legacy is worthy of trust and respect. Those who have delivered can promise more. Those who haven’t have nothing to promise. That is the logic of our campaign,” he said.

If elected, Lula will become the oldest person to serve as Brazil’s president at the age of 81.

Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court has scheduled a second meeting for August 17 with ambassadors, diplomatic representatives, and international organizations to explain how Brazil’s electronic voting machines work, as well as the country’s electoral system.

The meeting should take place at the court headquarters and will continue efforts to promote transparency toward the international community.

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In it, the president of the court, Judge Kássio Nunes Marques, will once again explain how electronic voting machines operate.

This statement came after Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the Liberal Party’s presidential candidate, adopted the same strategy as his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, of spreading false information about electronic voting machines to ambassadors from other countries, raising questions about the reliability of the Brazilian electoral system.

Fake news

Without presenting any evidence, Flávio Bolsonaro claimed that many of the machines used in Brazilian elections were supplied by Smartmatic, a company linked to the Venezuelan electoral system.

In response to the statements, the Electoral Court has publicly reaffirmed that Smartmatic did not supply voting machines or develop software for Brazilian elections.

The court reiterated that the voting machines were designed by court officials and manufactured by companies contracted through a public bidding process, noting that the link between Smartmatic and the Brazilian voting system has been debunked several times in recent years.

Critics and experts viewed the incident as a revival of the strategy adopted by former President Jair Bolsonaro, who repeatedly questioned the security of electronic voting machines and, in 2022, convened ambassadors to present allegations that were later deemed unfounded by the Electoral Court.

In a statement, the Superior Electoral Court announced that the Brazilian elections will be monitored by numerous international observers. Among them are the European Union, the Organization of American States (OAS), Parlasul, the Carter Center, Uniore, and ROJAE-CPLP. All will be part of the Electoral Observer Mission to monitor the October election.

Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned its ambassador to Buenos Aires, Julio Bitelli, for consultations after Argentine President Javier Milei made remarks targeting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

On Saturday (Jul. 25), Milei attended the Liberal Party (PL) convention in São Paulo, where Flávio Bolsonaro was officially nominated as the party’s presidential candidate.

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Milei’s speech included repeated attacks on his Brazilian counterpart, whom he criticized on more than one occasion. At one point, he referred to the Brazilian president as a “convict.”

Milei also targeted Alexandre de Moraes, a justice on Brazil’s Supreme Court, whom he called “bald trash” for not authorizing a visit to Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest.

In diplomacy, recalling an ambassador for consultations is a sign of discontent, marking a moment of tension and seriousness between two countries.

Civility

Supreme Court President Edson Fachin issued an official statement on Saturday (25) describing Argentine President Javier Milei’s remarks about Justice Alexandre de Moraes as a “disrespectful reference.”

“While reaffirming the full autonomy of the Brazilian Judiciary, the Supreme Court presidency deplores statements incompatible with the civility that should characterize relations between states,” Fachin said in the statement.