Brazil's Lula warns against foreign interference in electoral processes

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday warned that countries shouldn’t interfere in the internal affairs of other nations, while also urging world leaders to take stronger action in response to intensifying global conflicts.

The mixed messages came as Lula spoke to the United Nations General Assembly, just before U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the group. Lula criticized external interference in Brazil’s internal affairs, only weeks ahead of his country's elections.

“We will not allow the enemies of democracy, whether domestic or foreign, to undermine popular will. Brazilian democracy belongs to Brazilians. Brazil will continue to be a sovereign country,” Lula said. “Nobody will turn us away from this path.”

Lula's speech comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Brazil. Last year, the U.S. imposed an initial round of tariffs, citing what Trump called a “witch hunt” trial against the country’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest following his conviction for an attempted coup.

Since then, relations between the two countries have become further strained, amid growing allegations of foreign interference in October’s elections in Brazil, in which Lula is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive presidential term.

His main political rival is Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, one of the sons of the former president.

The Trump administration has publicly backed Bolsonaro. Recently, Trump designated two Brazilian criminal groups, the First Command of the Capital, or PCC, and the Red Command, or CV, as foreign terrorist organizations. Lula rejected the decision, and some analysts and politicians have argued that the move could be intended to interfere in the country's election by portraying Lula as soft on organized crime.

Speaking to the U.N., Lula said Brazil’s ‌electoral ⁠system is “modern and robust” and warned against disinformation campaigns seeking to distort public debate during the campaign, noting that “democracy is once again in jeopardy."

“Brazil ​is nobody’s backyard,” he said. “We are once again ⁠witnessing external interference in electoral processes.”

Lula said Brazil does not underestimate the challenge of organized crime but "will not outsource the responsibility of defending” its own borders. His remarks Tuesday follow the unveiling last Friday of a pilot plan to expand the federal government’s role in fighting gang violence in Rio de Janeiro.

During his speech, Lula also addressed the Brazilian economy, saying that despite the massive tariffs, the country will break a new export record this year.

Lula started his speech railing against what he called weakness in the U.N.'s actions on wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and called for reform of the U.N. Security Council, saying that in 2025 alone the world “will see the highest number of armed conflicts since World War II” with “trillions of dollars financing a new arms race.”

“The U.N. is failing in one of its highest missions: to save humanity from the scourge of war,” Lula said. ”Its credibility has never been lower."

Lula said the U.N. must recover its capacity for dialogue and mediation and that it is time to choose between multilateralism or global fragmentation.

“Concessions to the law of the stronger have surpassed all limits. This is not idealism, but pure realism," he said. “War is not the continuation of politics by other means; it’s the complete breakdown of politics.”

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees star Aaron Judge had an injection in his sore right calf, putting his status for the postseason in even more jeopardy.

Before the Yankees faced the Rays in a day-night doubleheader Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone said Judge had a platelet poor plasma injection during the team’s off-day on Monday following its return from Arizona.

Judge was put on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a strained soleus muscle, which is in the lower part of his calf. Boone did not say what grade the strain is but described it as “moderate.”

“We’re planning on him not being a part of that but we’re also at time of the year, you hear all the time with injuries, you give ranges two to four weeks, four to six weeks,” Boone said. “The range is for a reason and we’re at a point of the year where obviously we push it a little bit if that was in play but that’s a week away. I’m not expecting it, but I’m not ruling it out either.”

Judge is eligible to be activated for the regular-season finale on Sunday against Baltimore but will not do much activity in the next few days.

Judge injured his calf during last Wednesday’s game at Minnesota. The eight-time All-Star was lifted in the sixth inning for a pinch hitter because of discomfort in his leg and said at the time it was a precautionary move.

Boone said symptoms persisted and an MRI revealed the strain.

Judge was 4 for 23 with 13 strikeouts and one extra-base hit in seven games after returning Sept. 8 from a broken rib, which kept him out of the lineup for more than three months.

Judge is hitting .241 with 18 homers and 41 RBIs in just 66 games this year. He hit a long homer on Sept. 14 in Minnesota and had the next game off before straining his calf.

The Yankees entered Tuesday with a 48-41 record in the games Judge has missed and a 41-25 mark in games he has played. New York also began Tuesday a loss away from being eliminated from the AL East race, setting up a second straight wild-card series against the Red Sox next week.

"We’ve played much of the year without him and for the most part, we’ve done a pretty good job,” Boone said. “So guys are used to it. Obviously you always want your best player in the mix, but we understand we’ve got a job to do and an expectation to win. I think that expectation doesn’t change with or without him. We’re expecting to go into the series and know we can beat anyone when we play our game.”

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge walks back to the dugout after the bottom of the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Injured New York Yankees' Aaron Judge sits with teammates in the dugout during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts after striking out during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)