Lula urges Bolsonaro to disclose personal records ahead of runoff

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has publicly asked right‑wing contender Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to make his personal financial and communications data public before the second round of the presidential election, a contest in which corruption has become a central theme. Lula announced on Tuesday that he would release his own bank statements, tax filings and telephone records, as well as those of his family members, if Bolsonaro agrees to do the same.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Maranhão, the left‑leaning president said, “I am ready to let Brazilians see who the thieves and corrupt people in this country really are. I want to know whether he has the courage to disclose his bank and phone records.” The invitation comes as both campaigns grapple with the fallout from a sweeping corruption scandal involving disgraced banker Daniel Vorcoro, which has implicated powerful figures and institutions across Brazil.

While Flávio Bolsonaro is the only major presidential hopeful with direct ties to Vorcoro, the scandal has also touched the Supreme Federal Court, a frequent target of right‑wing criticism after it sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio’s father, to 27 years in prison for his role in a coup plot following Lula’s victory in 2022.

Corruption concerns have become a potent issue for the right, a dynamic Lula is trying to turn to his advantage as the race nears its conclusion. Additional tension stems from worries about U.S. interference after a series of interventions by the Trump administration in Brazilian affairs, and from reports that social‑media giant Meta had limited Lula’s online campaign. Meta told Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday that it is working to ensure equal treatment for both candidates and that any automated restrictions on advertising accounts would be reviewed within two hours throughout the runoff on Sunday.

According to AFP, Lula plans to seek the disqualification of Bolsonaro’s campaign on the grounds of alleged “algorithmic manipulation” by Meta, citing an anonymous source.