BRICS in play: Could Brazil leave the bloc if Flávio Bolsonaro wins?

Source: RT en Español | Original Published At: 2026-09-28 17:00:25 UTC

Key Points

• Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro present different visions for Brazil's international position, with BRICS membership a major point of disagreement.
• Lula's program proposes deeper geopolitical alignment with BRICS and the Global South, as well as greater use of national currencies to reduce dollar dependence.
• Flávio Bolsonaro's program does not mention BRICS and prioritizes urgent reactivation of Brazil's OECD accession process.
• In a June interview, Flávio Bolsonaro said he would reconsider Brazil's BRICS membership and left open the possibility of leaving the bloc.
• CNN Brasil reported that Chinese authorities are closely following Bolsonaro's pro-US rhetoric and are concerned about its direction.
• Russian expert Víktor Jeifets said Bolsonaro's statements reflect a US-aligned view but that Brazil's institutional checks and pragmatic elites could limit abrupt withdrawal.
• The expert expects a Bolsonaro presidency to reduce political engagement with BRICS and the de-dollarization agenda while maintaining economic cooperation, especially with China.