Supreme Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the opening of an investigation today into Senator Flávio Bolsonaro for alleged slander against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on social media.
Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and a presidential pre-candidate, used the social media platform X on January 3 to attribute crimes such as drug trafficking and money laundering to the Brazilian leader, while also linking Lula to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
“Lula will be informed on. It is the end of the São Paulo Forum: international drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering, support for terrorists and dictatorships, rigged elections,” he wrote.
The post included screenshots of news reports from that day: one showing Nicolás Maduro being captured by U.S. military forces, and another reporting that the Brazilian government had called an emergency meeting following the Venezuelan leader’s capture.
Read more about this topic: Lula accuses Bolsonaro’s son of wanting to sell Brazil to the US (with video)
The decision by Alexandre de Moraes responds to a request from the Federal Police (PF) and is supported by a favorable opinion from the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR).
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The Accusation: Authorities argue that by using the expression “will be informed on” (referencing a plea bargain), the Senator falsely imputed criminal acts to the President in a high-reach virtual environment.
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The Timeline: The Federal Police have 60 days to establish the inquiry and investigate the crime of slander.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s press office released a statement expressing “profound surprise” at the decision, arguing that the measure is legally fragile and lacks criminal tipicity.
“The Senator limited himself to reporting facts and listing the crimes for which Nicolás Maduro was arrested and is being prosecuted internationally, without making a direct criminal imputation against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.”
The statement further claimed the investigation is an attempt to “curtail freedom of expression” and criticized Justice Moraes, citing alleged censorship during the 2022 elections when terms like “un-convicted” (descondenado) were prohibited in reference to Lula.
