Brazil’s electoral court restricts far-right candidate Renan Santos’s campaign

Brazil’s electoral court has temporarily barred far-right presidential candidate Renan Santos from debates, online campaign advertising and access to his share of public campaign funds.

The preventive order, issued by Supreme Electoral Court Justice José Antonio Dias Toffoli, takes immediate effect but still must be considered by the other members of the court. Toffoli said Santos registered 16 profiles to promote his candidacy 12 days after registering his presidential bid.

The judge said some profiles promoted Santos as the candidate of the Mission party before they were registered with the court, which electoral rules prohibit. One account with 2.4 million followers allegedly distributed campaign material before the candidacy was registered. Legislative candidates later shared or recommended the material, Toffoli said, giving Santos an advantage over other presidential contenders.

Toffoli said candidates must register the online profiles used in their campaigns so authorities can monitor political advertising and prevent platforms’ recommendation systems from spreading unregistered material.

Santos is a 42-year-old political activist known for his extensive online presence and provocative style. He has never held elected office and combines the economic liberalism associated with Argentine President Javier Milei with the tough-on-crime approach of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. He presents himself as a third option between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who lead the polls, but Santos remains among candidates polling below 4%.