Updated

Brazil is heading toward a tightly contested presidential election between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, with polls showing a close race. Adding to tensions, the Brazilian government has called for a probe into reports that the Trump administration directed funding toward far-right groups in Brazil ahead of the vote. The allegations of US interference could inflame an already polarized electoral contest, raising questions about foreign influence in Latin America's largest democracy as voters prepare to choose between competing visions represented by Lula and Bolsonaro's political heir.