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🇧🇷 Brazil /Elections & Politics

Electoral Prosecutor Seeks Ban on Bolsonaro Images in Campaign Material

From Folha de S.Paulo · () Portuguese

Translated from Portuguese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • São Paulo’s regional electoral prosecutor recommended banning state legislative candidate Lucas Bove from using former President Jair Bolsonaro’s image in campaign material.
  • The recommendation followed a complaint by candidate Duda Hidalgo over campaign banners displaying Bolsonaro alongside Bove and other politicians.
  • The recommendation is not a ruling, and the case now awaits a decision from electoral judge Ronnie Herbert Barros Soares.

A São Paulo electoral prosecutor has recommended barring candidate Lucas Bove from displaying Jair Bolsonaro’s image in his campaign material, arguing that it could circumvent restrictions imposed on the former president.

The recommendation, signed by prosecutor Uendel Domingues Ugatti, came in response to a complaint from Duda Hidalgo, a Workers’ Party candidate and councilwoman in Ribeirão Preto. She challenged banners placed at several points in the city that showed Bolsonaro prominently beside Bove, as well as images of Governor Tarcísio de Freitas and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

The prosecutor accepted only the complaint concerning Bolsonaro’s image. The recommendation cited a decision by Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes that maintained Bolsonaro’s house arrest and prohibited the dissemination of political-electoral statements “through third parties, regardless of the means used.” That decision forms part of a criminal case concerning an alleged coup attempt after the 2022 election.

Another demonstration of how anti-democratic the left is and how much strength Bolsonarismo has.

— Lucas BoveThe candidate criticized the prosecutor’s recommendation and defended the political force associated with Bolsonaro.

Ugatti argued that prominently displaying Bolsonaro in the campaign of a candidate from his party could amount to a political-electoral statement made through an intermediary. The opinion also cited the Supreme Court’s position that a final criminal conviction automatically suspends political rights, including party membership.

Bove said the recommendation was “another demonstration of how anti-democratic the left is and how much strength Bolsonarismo has.” He said he would await and comply with the electoral court’s decision. The prosecutor found no irregularity in the banners themselves, noting that election law permits mobile flags on public roads from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., provided they do not obstruct traffic. The recommendation remains a procedural submission, not a final decision.

Through third parties, regardless of the means used.

— Alexandre de MoraesThe phrase comes from the court decision cited by the electoral prosecutor to justify the proposed ban.
About this summary

Originally published by Folha de S.Paulo in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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