Brazil election: scandals cast shadow over Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro campaigns

Sunday 16 August 2026 - 09:45

By: Sahili Aya

Brazil election: scandals cast shadow over Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro campaigns

Brazil's upcoming election is unfolding against a familiar backdrop: investigations involving prominent political figures and their families are once again becoming part of the national campaign.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his rival Flavio Bolsonaro come from opposing political camps, but both campaigns are facing scrutiny linked to ongoing investigations. Authorities are examining allegations surrounding Lula's eldest son, commonly known as "Lulinha", while another investigation concerns the financing of a film about former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio Bolsonaro's father.

The cases are particularly sensitive in a country where corruption scandals have repeatedly shaped political fortunes and public confidence in institutions.

Investigation involving Lula's eldest son

Brazilian police are investigating allegations of influence peddling involving Lula's eldest son. The inquiry adds a new source of political pressure around the president as he prepares to defend his record and seek continued support from voters.

The investigation does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing. Nevertheless, the case risks becoming a campaign issue as political opponents seek to associate the president's political environment with allegations of improper influence.

For Lula, the controversy is especially delicate given his own turbulent legal history.

Lula's previous conviction and its reversal

Lula, now 80, spent more than 18 months in prison in 2018 and 2019 after being convicted of corruption and money laundering in connection with the sprawling "Car Wash" investigation, one of the largest corruption scandals in Brazil's history.

His convictions were subsequently annulled after Brazil's Supreme Court ruled that the judge responsible for the cases had been biased. The decision restored Lula's political rights and cleared the way for his return to electoral politics.

The episode remains deeply divisive. Supporters have long argued that Lula was the victim of a politically motivated judicial process, while his opponents continue to point to the original corruption allegations as part of their criticism of his political legacy.

Bolsonaro's camp faces a different controversy

Flavio Bolsonaro is confronting a separate issue involving the funding of a film about his father, Jair Bolsonaro.

The former president is currently detained following a conviction related to an attempted coup, making the project particularly politically charged. Investigators are examining how the film was financed and whether its funding raises legal concerns.

The investigation places another Bolsonaro-related controversy in the spotlight just as Flavio seeks to establish himself as a major figure on the Brazilian right.

Two campaigns, different legal histories

The cases surrounding the two political camps are markedly different in nature, but their timing gives them added significance.

Lula enters the campaign carrying the memory of a corruption case that was ultimately overturned, while Flavio Bolsonaro is campaigning amid fresh scrutiny connected to his family and his father's legal troubles.

That contrast is likely to fuel an already polarised political environment. For voters, the investigations raise broader questions about accountability, political influence and the relationship between Brazil's powerful political families and the country's institutions.

As the election approaches, neither side can easily separate its campaign from the legal controversies surrounding its political camp. The investigations may not determine the outcome on their own, but they are certain to provide ammunition in a contest where the reputations of two deeply opposed political movements are once again at stake.