Lula campaign accepts Flávio Bolsonaro’s conditions for opening records
Lula’s campaign says it will accept its rival’s disclosure conditions and file a response with Brazil’s electoral court on Thursday, ahead of the presidential runoff.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s campaign said on Wednesday, October 21, in Brasília that it would accept rival Flávio Bolsonaro’s conditions for releasing records, provided Bolsonaro also meets Lula’s demands. The exchange puts both candidates’ promises of transparency before Brazil’s electoral court days ahead of the October 25 presidential runoff.
Camilo Santana, a senator representing Lula’s campaign, told journalists that Lula agreed to Bolsonaro’s new demands and that the campaign would file its official response with the court on Thursday morning, Reuters reported. The Rio Times said the filing was planned for 11 a.m. Brasília time on October 22.
What each campaign wants disclosed
Lula’s campaign submitted a document to the electoral court on Tuesday authorizing release of his and family members’ bank, tax and telephone records if Bolsonaro did the same, according to Reuters. The request also covered legal entities in which the candidates are partners or directors. Lula had challenged Bolsonaro on October 19 to open records after offering to disclose his own bank and phone records and those of his five children, The Rio Times reported.
Bolsonaro’s campaign responded by authorizing the release Lula requested, on condition that Lula expand his offer to cover advisers, security staff and records from companies held by Lula’s children, Reuters reported. The Rio Times said Bolsonaro also sought bank records tied to Instituto Lula and Marco Aurélio Santana Ribeiro. Accounts differed over the full list of requested records.
Santana objected that Bolsonaro’s list omitted Alcazar Holdings, a company linked to lawyer Willer Tomaz, The Rio Times reported. The outlet said Lula’s original list included the company. It was not immediately clear whether Bolsonaro would accept that demand; the campaigns’ conditional offers had not resulted in a reported release of records.
Why the records dispute matters before the runoff
The dispute has become a campaign argument over the candidates’ integrity in the final days before the vote, Reuters reported. Bolsonaro is under investigation over alleged corruption and money laundering linked to funding he sought from a banker for a film about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. He acknowledged seeking funding but denied wrongdoing. Reuters also reported a separate alleged money-laundering investigation involving the senator.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has authorized an investigation into Lula’s son Fábio Luís Lula da Silva over alleged influence peddling and corruption involving Health Ministry dealings, as well as a separate pension-fraud probe, Reuters reported. Fábio Luís denies the allegations. Lula has said his son should be treated like any other citizen.
Read in depth: World
Yonsei says portal breach exposed data of about 10,000 people
The Seoul university says current and former students, faculty and international students are affected. It plans to let individuals check which details were exposed.
New Zealand’s Labour Weekend forecast brings heat to some regions and heavy rain to others
Canterbury and parts of the eastern North Island are forecast to have warm days, while a Labour Day front could bring heavy rain and strong winds to the South Island.
Sources and context
- Lula Agrees to Open Records If Flávio DoesThe Rio Times
- Brazil's Bolsonaro sets terms for records release after Lula's disclosure challengeReuters (republished by The Straits Times)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.