President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attacked presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro at a reelection campaign rally on Wednesday (Sept 16). Speaking in Ceilândia, a working-class district of Brasília, Lula said the senator "sent his brother to the United States to plot against Brazil".

According to G1, Eduardo, a former congressman whose mandate was revoked and a son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, is in the United States meeting politicians and officials tied to the government of Donald Trump. Lula again called him a "traitor to the fatherland" and said he is there "badmouthing Brazil and asking Trump to intervene in the country".

"This country cannot stomach a mutt of a politician. This country cannot stomach a politician who displays the national flag by day and by night gets on all fours for the United States, for the American flag. Brazil is tired, Brazil does not want to be anyone's colony. Brazil wants to be sovereign, run by Brazilians, and build its future with the sweat and blood of Brazilians."

The term "vira-lata", literally mongrel, is used in Brazil for an inferiority complex toward foreign powers.

Rally in Ceilândia

The event, called "Brasil Pronto pra Mais" (Brazil Ready for More), drew about 15,000 people to the Praça do Trabalhador square, according to organizers cited by Folha de S.Paulo. Lula shared the stage with first lady Janja and with local candidates: Leandro Grass (PT) for governor of the Federal District and Erika Kokay (PT) and Leila do Vôlei (PDT) for the Senate.

G1 reports that Lula has blamed members of the Bolsonaro family for defending measures Trump has taken against Brazil and accused them of trying to pressure Brazilian authorities through lobbying abroad. Over the past year he has tied Eduardo's activities to the tensions between the two countries.

A word with Trump at the UN

Lula said he will travel to the United States this weekend for the UN General Assembly and plans to talk with Trump. "I'm going to the UN meeting to have a chat with Trump and tell him not to meddle in Brazil's elections. Brazil has only one owner, and the owner of Brazil is the Brazilian people," he said.

The trip to New York comes before the first round of Brazil's October election, in which Lula seeks reelection and Flávio Bolsonaro is running for the presidency.