Brazil Court Orders Union to Delete 5 Anti-Flávio Posts

BRAZIL · POLITICS

Judge André Mendonça found that a union’s institutional Instagram profile cannot carry campaign material. The ruling hit posts tying Flávio Bolsonaro to militias and to losing the Pix payment system.

Brazilian electoral judge André Mendonça on Sunday ordered the CUT union federation to delete five Instagram Flávio posts. The posts tied Flávio Bolsonaro to militias, frozen pensions and the end of the Pix payment system, Correio Braziliense reported.

Mendonça, of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), acted on a complaint from Flávio’s conservative Liberal Party (PL) campaign, Gazeta do Povo reported. The order gave the CUT three hours to take the posts down, Correio Braziliense and Gazeta do Povo reported.

Flávio faces President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the runoff on Sunday, 25 October. The Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT) is historically aligned with Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT).

What the Electoral Court Ordered

Mendonça saw an apparent irregularity in campaign material on a legal entity’s institutional profile, the Brasília daily Correio Braziliense reported. Electoral law bars such material on the channels of legal entities, with or without profit, the Curitiba newspaper Gazeta do Povo reported.

The judge said unions have a legitimate right to take part in public debate, Gazeta do Povo reported. Using their institutional channels to promote or harm candidates, however, is banned by the Elections Law, he wrote.

Failure to comply carries a daily fine of 5,000 reais (about US$1,000), Correio Braziliense and Gazeta do Povo reported. Mendonça also ordered the CUT to preserve the original files of the five posts, Correio Braziliense added.

He rejected, for now, the campaign’s request for a general ban on future electoral posts by the CUT. He also sent the injunction to the TSE’s full bench for confirmation, according to both outlets.

What the Posts Said

They tied Flávio to militias, frozen wages and pensions, losing Pix and the “6×1” work week, Correio Braziliense reported. Gazeta do Povo described them as linking Flávio to militias and to lost benefits.

The judge found the posts aimed directly at the presidential race, Correio Braziliense reported. The newspaper said the posts sought to discourage votes for Flávio by linking his election to harm for voters.

Whether the claims are true will be judged later, after the CUT’s defence and an Electoral Prosecutor’s Office opinion. Any electoral fines will also be decided then, Gazeta do Povo reported.

What It Means for You

For US readers, the case puts Pix, a payment system Washington has scrutinised, at the centre of the campaign’s final stretch. The US Trade Representative opened a Section 301 investigation into Brazil on 15 July 2025, covering electronic payment services.

Instagram belongs to Meta, the US owner of Facebook, which faces a separate order. In another case that day, Mendonça ordered Meta to switch off paid PT ads attacking Flávio, Gazeta do Povo reported.

For investors in New York-listed Brazilian shares, the runoff will shape policy on wages, pensions and payments. Bettors expect Flávio to win, so rulings on attacks against him draw attention.

What Prediction Markets Say

On Polymarket’s US$180 million market, Flávio Bolsonaro stood at 87% and Lula at 12.5% (12 October, 3:33 p.m. ET). Kalshi, regulated in the US by the CFTC, showed Flávio at 88% and Lula at 13% (11:07 a.m. ET).

Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.

What Is Not Known

The official statement and the decision itself could not be opened, because TSE websites blocked automated access on Monday. Every detail of the order in this article comes from the reports of Correio Braziliense and Gazeta do Povo.

None of the reports gives the case number, and it is not known whether the CUT will appeal. Instagram could not be checked to confirm which of the five posts remain visible.

Terra, in a report supplied by Estadão, said Meta was also ordered to act and quoted a CUT reply. No independent second outlet confirmed either detail, so neither is reported here as fact.

What Comes Next

The TSE’s full bench must now confirm or overturn Mendonça’s injunction. The CUT’s defence and the Electoral Prosecutor’s Office opinion come before any ruling on whether the posts were false.

Brazilians choose between Flávio and Lula in the runoff on Sunday, 25 October. Neither outlet reported a date for the full bench’s review of the injunction.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CUT?

The Central Única dos Trabalhadores is Brazil’s biggest trade union federation, founded in 1983. It has historically been aligned with Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT).

Why did the judge order the posts removed?

Mendonça found an apparent breach of the rule barring campaign material on the institutional profiles of legal entities. He said the posts were aimed directly at the presidential race.

What are Rio’s militias?

They are armed groups, often formed by current and former police officers, that control territory in parts of Rio de Janeiro. They charge residents and businesses for protection and services.

What is Pix?

Pix is the free instant payment system that Brazil’s central bank launched in November 2020. Brazilians use it for everyday transfers and purchases.

Who is André Mendonça?

Mendonça is a Supreme Court justice who also sits on the Superior Electoral Court. Jair Bolsonaro appointed him to the Supreme Court in 2021.

Sources: Correio Braziliense, Mendonça order on CUT posts; Terra (Estadão-supplied report), Mendonça order; Gazeta do Povo, Mendonça orders on PT ads and CUT posts (all accessed 12 October 2026).