Thank you for contacting me about the recent presidential elections in Brazil.
My congratulations go to President-elect Lula on his victory and to Brazil’s people and institutions for holding a successful electoral process. I know the Foreign Secretary looks forward to strengthening our countries' partnership in the years ahead.
I can assure you that officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) closely followed reports of political violence in the lead up to the presidential elections.
Independent election monitoring plays a vital role in ensuring credible and inclusive elections and, like you, I firmly believe that core democratic principles and electoral processes, of which the FCDO is a fervent champion everywhere, should be respected. To this end, HM Government supports the work of international election observation organisations in Brazil and, through our Embassy in Brasilia, engages with the Brazilian Government, political parties and civil society organisations on this basis.
Promoting democracy and defending democratic freedoms are fundamental to the UK’s foreign policy. I hope you are reassured that the UK will always champion the need for political parties to respect the rule of law, refrain from violence and be able to campaign freely.