Brazil’s 2026 Campaign Begins as Deepfake Video and Lulinha Inquiries Reshape Strategy

Overview

• The campaign period, which began on August 16, has teams running street events and digital outreach across states while candidates press local plans on health, mobility and security.
• Police inquiries into Fábio Luís Lula da Silva (Lulinha) over alleged influence-peddling and ties to Roberta Luchsinger have created acute political pressure inside President Lula’s re-election operation.
• The PL circulated an AI-generated video of Jair Bolsonaro that prompted ministers at the Superior Electoral Court to convene to discuss deepfakes and possible tighter rules for synthetic media.
• Senator Flávio Bolsonaro reported receiving about 1,800 death threats, wore a bulletproof vest on the campaign trail and accused judicial actors of blocking formal Centrão support for his bid.
• Campaign teams expect to shift tactics when paid radio and TV propaganda begins later this month, with both sides preparing targeted attacks and defensive messaging tied to legal developments.