Lula's Party Denounces Flávio Bolsonaro to Electoral Court, Accusing Him of Spreading Disinformation About Voting Machines

Brazil's ruling Workers' Party (PT) has filed a complaint with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, accusing him and other right-wing figures of orchestrating a disinformation campaign against the country's electronic voting system.

The PT, part of the ruling coalition, alleges that Bolsonaro and his allies are deliberately spreading false information to undermine the credibility of the voting machines. The complaint specifically targets statements made by Bolsonaro, which the party claims threaten institutional integrity and could lead to "informational chaos." The legal action also names federal deputies Julia Zanatta and Gustavo Gayer, as well as former congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is currently based in the United States.

The lawsuit requests the immediate removal of identified social media posts from the accused individuals' accounts and seeks a fine of 30,000 reais (approximately $6,000) per post for each person involved. Furthermore, the PT is asking the TSE to compel major social media platforms to prevent the circulation, dissemination, or monetization of content that falsely associates Brazilian voting machines with the company Smartmatic or makes similar unsubstantiated claims.

Flávio Bolsonaro has previously alluded to alleged irregularities, suggesting that Brazilian voting equipment shares origins with Venezuelan machines from Smartmatic and referencing a supposed CIA report. However, his office has denied that he questioned the Brazilian electoral process, stating that his remarks were brief and did not challenge the system's integrity. The PT clarified that this initial action aims to neutralize the spread of false data rather than initiate a formal investigation into political and media abuse.

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Whenever a poll shows I've surpassed Lula, a narrative is constructed in a lying and cowardly way to try to tarnish my image. They won't be able to stop me. Not with knives, not with bullets, and much less with lies and narratives.