# Investigation into Flávio Bolsonaro regarding Lula

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/investigation-into-flvio-bolsonaro-regarding-lula
> Updated: 2026-08-17T07:47:37.000Z. Sources: 52. Developments: 3.

Brazilian authorities are investigating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro for alleged calumny against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The inquiry follows a social media post from January 2026 in which the senator associated images of Lula with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and accused him of crimes such as money laundering and electoral fraud.

Initially, the Federal Police canceled a scheduled in-person deposition for the senator after his legal team submitted written justifications to the Supreme Federal Court, arguing the post contained true news items and independent commentary rather than false attributions.

In a related legal development, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) ordered the removal of a video published by Bolsonaro that linked the president to organized crime groups, specifically the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV). The court's five-to-two decision, prompted by a legal action from the Federação Brasil da Esperança, ruled that the content constituted negative early electoral propaganda. The TSE ordered the platform X to take down the material.

This ruling reversed a previous decision by TSE President Nunes Marques, who had initially rejected the request for immediate removal. The majority of ministers argued the video lacked a ‘minimum factual substrate’ to justify the associations. While Justices Nunes Marques and André Mendonça dissented from the removal order, the court declined to rule on a separate motion by Justice Mendonça that sought to compel the Federação Brasil da Esperança to provide financial documents and recordings related to its national congress and the ‘Porta-Vozes de Lula’ project. The TSE determined the initial distribution of that specific case was improper and ordered its redistribution.

## Claims

- The Superior Electoral Court ordered the removal of a video published by Flávio Bolsonaro. (corroborated by 19 sources)
- The decision was reached by a five-to-two vote margin. (corroborated by 18 sources)
- The legal action was filed by the Federação Brasil da Esperança, composed of the PT, PC do B, and PV parties. (corroborated by 18 sources)
- The petition accused Flávio Bolsonaro of early electoral propaganda and falsely linking President Lula to criminal organizations. (corroborated by 18 sources)
- The court declined to rule on a separate motion by Justice André Mendonça regarding the submission of recordings and documents from the Federação Brasil da Esperança's 8th National Congress. (corroborated by 18 sources)
- The court ruled that the initial distribution of the process was improper and ordered it to be redistributed among competent members. (corroborated by 17 sources)
- The court ordered the social media platform X to remove the publication. (corroborated by 16 sources)
- The court overturned a previous decision by Nunes Marques that had allowed the video to remain online. (corroborated by 10 sources)
- The court ruled that the video constituted premature electoral propaganda. (corroborated by 8 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-17: TSE orders removal of Flávio Bolsonaro video linking Lula to criminal groups

Brazil's TSE ordered the removal of a video by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro that falsely links President Lula to criminal factions, ruling it constitutes premature negative electoral propaganda.

22 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazils-superior-electoral-court-orders-removal-of-video-linking-lula-to-criminal-groups

### 2026-08-15: Superior Electoral Court orders removal of Flávio Bolsonaro video linking Lula to crime

Brazil's Superior Electoral Court ordered the removal of a video by Flávio Bolsonaro that falsely links President Lula to criminal factions, citing illegal early electoral propaganda.

29 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/supreme-federal-court-maintains-suspension-of-civic-military-schools-in-minas-gerais

### 2026-08-09: Flávio Bolsonaro deposition canceled in Lula calumny probe

The Brazilian Federal Police canceled Senator Flávio Bolsonaro’s deposition in a calumny investigation involving President Lula, after his defense submitted written justifications.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/flvio-bolsonaro-deposition-canceled-in-lula-calumny-probe

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Cite as: Investigation into Flávio Bolsonaro regarding Lula. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/investigation-into-flvio-bolsonaro-regarding-lula