Flavio Bolsonaro Allies Scramble After Voice Message Ties Him to Jailed Banker in 2024
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 14
Flavio Bolsonaro Allies Scramble After Voice Message Ties Him to Jailed Banker in 2024
5 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 14
Aides to Senator Flavio Bolsonaro spent Thursday containing fallout after The Intercept Brasil published a voice message showing him asking jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro to resume funding a film about his father.
Bolsonaro had denied any connection to Vorcaro as recently as March, then acknowledged meeting him in December 2024 and said the exchanges concerned a private movie contract.
Alberto Fraga, a deputy leader in Bolsonaro's Liberal Party, said the senator erred by not disclosing the relationship earlier, while rival conservative Romeu Zema called the revelation "unpardonable."
Recent polls had shown Bolsonaro leading conservatives by nearly 30 points and running even with Lula in a simulated runoff, but analysts said the scandal damages his campaign and improves Lula's reelection chances.
Brazilian stocks and the real fell on Wednesday as traders marked down Bolsonaro's odds on his pro-business platform, then recovered part of those losses on Thursday as election uncertainty widened.
As Flavio Bolsonaro's campaign falters, could this scandal open the door for a new conservative challenger to emerge against President Lula?
With corruption allegations now touching both sides, how deep does the 'Operation Compliance Zero' network really go within Brazil's political establishment?