Flávio Bolsonaro (Getty Images)
The statement was prompted by a post by Benz, in which he compared the level of US aid to Brazil before and after Bolsonaro came to power. According to the figures he cited, funding rose from $31.9 million in 2018 to $68.9 million in 2019.
The debate unfolded against the backdrop of the results of the first round of the Brazilian presidential election, held on 4 October. It was won by Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. He secured 47 per cent of the vote. He will be joined in the second round by the incumbent president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who secured 45 per cent of the vote. The second round is scheduled for 25 October.
What Mike Benz claims
Benz, a former US State Department official, claims on social media platform X that the increase in funding was not linked to a sudden need on Brazil’s part for additional aid. According to him, the funds were directed towards projects involving civil society and the creation of infrastructure that could subsequently be used to support the Bolsonaro government.
Benz made similar claims in 2025 during hearings before the Committee on International Relations and National Defence of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies. He stated that the increase in USAID funding during Bolsonaro’s presidency coincided with the development of a network of organisations and programmes which, in his view, could be used to exert political influence.
That said, the very fact that funding levels increased is confirmed by public data from the US government, to which Benz referred. According to his figures, after standing at $31.9 million in 2018, funding reached around $68 million in 2019, and later rose to approximately $87 million.
How did Musk react?
Musk responded to Benz’s claim with a brief message: “USAID engaged in election interference and regime change around the world, causing massive strife”.
In doing so, Musk went beyond the specific claim about Brazil and extended the accusation to USAID’s activities worldwide.
The issue has already become the subject of political debate in Brazil itself. In August 2025, Benz spoke at a hearing of a Brazilian parliamentary committee and alleged interference by US government bodies in the country’s political processes. The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies reported that he had presented documents and data on the funding of various organisations.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
Follow our updates
Have information for the newsroom? Share it with Logos-Press
Comments
0No comments yet. You can start the conversation.
Comments are open to readers with a Logos Press account.
Sign in to comment