Brazil’s Prosecutor General’s Office endorsed on Monday questioning Senator Flávio Bolsonaro for slander against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, after federal police found concrete evidence of defamation in a social media post linking Lula and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to illegal practices.

Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet sent an opinion to the Supreme Federal Court classifying the interrogation of the senator and presidential pre-candidate as a “measure of special relevance.” The prosecution argued the need for questioning remains, especially given the possibility of repentance, which could exempt the investigated party from punishment.

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The probe originated from a Workers’ Party complaint over Bolsonaro’s January 3, 2026, post on X—the same day Maduro was kidnapped by the United States in a military operation that left at least 100 dead in Venezuelan territory. In that message, the far-right legislator wrote: “Lula will be denounced, it is the end of the São Paulo Forum: international drug and arms trafficking, money laundering, support for terrorists and dictatorships, fraudulent elections.”

The Federal Police concluded its report and found sufficient evidence to classify the conduct as defamation under articles 138 and 141 of the Brazilian Penal Code.

In its document to the Supreme Federal Court, the police authority explicitly stated: “It is evident that the Honorable Senator Flavio Nantes Bolsonaro committed the crime typified in article 138.”

The case, overseen by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, has a concluded police report and has been sent to the court for analysis and pertinent actions.

Both politicians are the main contenders for the October 2026 presidential elections. Although opinion polls previously showed a technical tie, the most recent surveys indicate the current progressive president holds an advantage in voting intention.

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