Lula said on Tuesday he would make his own financial and telecommunications records available, along with those of his family, if Bolsonaro agreed to do the same. “I’m willing to let Brazilians see who the thieves and corrupt people in this country really are,” Lula said at a campaign event in Maranhao state. “I want to see whether he [Bolsonaro] has the courage to disclose his bank and phone records.”
The challenge comes as both campaigns navigate the fallout of an explosive corruption scandal involving disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro, which has implicated powerful individuals and institutions across Brazil. Bolsonaro is the only major presidential candidate with direct links to Vorcaro. The scandal has also touched the Supreme Federal Court, a key target of right-wing anger after it sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio's father, to 27 years in prison for his role in a coup plot following his 2022 loss to Lula.
Adding to the election's tension are concerns about platform bias. Reports that social media giant Meta had restricted Lula's online accounts prompted a legal complaint. Meta told Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday that it has taken steps to ensure equal treatment for both candidates. The company added that any automated restrictions on advertising accounts from either campaign would be reviewed within two hours through the second round of voting on Sunday. The news service AFP reported that Lula would seek to disqualify Bolsonaro's campaign on the grounds of algorithmic manipulation in his favour by Meta, citing an anonymous source. Worries about US interference have also loomed over the race following a series of interventions by the Trump administration in Brazilian domestic matters.