Caixa Econômica Federal faces scrutiny over athletes' political posts

The federal bank Caixa Econômica Federal sponsors the Confederação Brasileira de Atletismo (CBAt) as a “Master sponsor” of Brazilian athletics. Under the contract, the Confederation hires Olympic medalists as ambassadors, requiring them to make six monthly Instagram posts that tag Caixa and use its hashtags.

Investigative reporting revealed that some athletes used these sponsored posts to promote politicians, including former president Jair Bolsonaro, his son Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, and São Paulo Governor‑candidate Tarcísio de Freitas. Former sprinter André Domingos posted pictures with the Bolsonaro family and explicitly endorsed their political ambitions, breaching the contract clause that forbids political promotion.

Caixa responded that it has no direct contract with the athletes and that compliance with the sponsorship terms is the responsibility of CBAt. The bank reaffirmed its adherence to election‑law regulations and denied any institutional support for any candidacy. CBAt declined to comment on the allegations.