SE reported that the equipment used in 2022 was entirely produced in Brazil
Summary
MISLEADING – Michael Benz, Trump’s former secretary, posted screenshots on his X profile suggesting the US State Department’s interference in Brazil’s 2022 election and claiming that the US government built the ballot boxes used in the country. While the images were not doctored, they were taken out of context to suggest support for Lula, comparing him to the 1964 coup. The TSE reported that the equipment used in 2022 was entirely made in Brazil.
Contents investigated: Publication – retweeted by Elon Musk – in which Michael Benz, Donald Trump’s former secretary and right-wing influencer, suggests that the United States government would directly interfere in the outcome of the 2022 Brazilian federal elections to favor the elected candidate, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).
Where it was published:X.
Test conclusion: The publication by former Donald Trump secretary and right-wing influencer Michael Benz uses screenshots of reports from the Financial Times and Reuters, highlights excerpts of the materials and takes them out of context to claim that the electronic voting machines used in Brazil during the 2022 elections were allegedly built by the United States “for the pro-Lula Brazilian authorities.”
The topics covered in the articles, however, do not concern the construction of the ballot boxes. The reports in question, in fact, speak of “The US’s discreet campaign to defend Brazil’s elections” and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) told the Bolsonaro government “so as not to interfere with the Brazilian elections”.
According to the information of the Higher Electoral Court (TSE), the electronic ballot boxes EU2020 Modelused in the 2022 general elections – as well as the models used in all Brazilian elections since the adoption of the digital model – were entirely Brazilian productionmade by Positive technology.
Comprova did not contact the publisher because X is not available in Brazil.
Misleadingfor Comprova, is content taken from the original context and used in another so that its meaning changes; that uses inaccurate data or that leads to an interpretation different from the intentions of its author; content that confuses, with or without the deliberate intent to cause harm.
Publication scope: Comprova investigates suspicious content with the highest reach on social media. Between August 30 (date of publication) and September 6, the post had 10 million views, 18 thousand likes, 9.1 thousand shares and 687 comments.
Sources we consulted: Comprova consulted the two reports cited by the author of the post, published by the international news agency Reuters and the American newspaper Financial times. He also studied the assembly of electronic voting machines by TSE website. Information about Mike Benz was found on the Foundation For Freedom Online website.
Electronic Voting Machines and Their Chips
The assembly of electronic voting machines used in Brazilian elections is done in Brazil – in Manaus (AM) and Ilhéus (BA) –, but some of the components used are purchased from other countries, such as chips, made from semiconductor materials, for example.
For the EU2020 model ballot boxes, semiconductors were purchased from Taiwanese company Nuvoton and American Texas Instruments, according to two sources heard by relationship from the Financial Times used by Benz in the investigated posts.
The report also highlights that the only US participation in the surveys was in asking Taiwanese authorities and Texas Instruments officials to prioritize Brazilian demand for these components.
The reasons for the requests to the companies in question were the “impact on democratic elections” and the material shortage crisis due to the pandemic. One of the excerpts published by Benz describes this very action, but the author of the post did not highlight it, using graphic tools to draw the reader’s attention only to other excerpts of the material. Benz also does not contextualize the aforementioned reports.
The US action was taken before the elections
As described by sources heard by the Financial Times reportwhich he had at translation published by Folha de S. Pauloall the American action took place before the elections, with the aim of contributing to the fairness of the electoral process and avoiding the results being called into question, as happened in the USA after Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in 2020.
“The goal was to reinforce two consistent messages to Brazil’s restless generals and Bolsonaro’s close allies: Washington was neutral on the outcome of the election, but would not tolerate any attempt to question the voting process or the outcome,” the report said. This excerpt was omitted from Benz’s posts.
The last efforts of the Americans were to maintain contact with the political allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) so that they would renounce any demonstration aimed at contesting the election result – while after the elections, the only position adopted by the United States Member States would have proposed a joint declaration with Canada and Mexico, in view of the attacks of January 8, 2023.
Who is Mike Benz?
Michael Benz served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Policy at the U.S. Department of State during the Donald Trump administration, and is Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online (FFO)), a non-governmental organization that says its goal is “defending digital freedom.”
Mike Benz’s work gained prominence after being cited in US Congressional hearings and promoted by Elon Musk, current owner of X, as NBC News explains.
Thanks to his visibility, Mike Benz has become a go-to personality for Republican criticism of the Biden administration and what they call “social media censorship.”
Why Comprova investigated this publication: Comprova monitors suspicious content posted on social networks and messaging apps about public policy, health, climate change, and elections. When it detects a topic in this monitoring that is taken out of context, Comprova contextualizes the issue. You can also suggest checks via WhatsApp +55 11 97045-4984.
Further checks on the topic: Comprova has already carried out a fact-check on the Financial Times article, due to a post that was misleading in stating that the The United States interfered in the elections in favor of Lula. The project also verified several publications related to electronic voting machines, such as false information that a device changed the vote and regarding TSE has exploited more than 30 thousand machines.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
