The WhatsApp channel created by Flávio Bolsonaro's (PL) team in reaction to the PT campaign publishes out-of-context phrases from President Lula (PT), audios from politicians such as Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) and Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO) asking for voter mobilization and false insinuations, such as that a young woman had used cocaine during a demonstration in favor of the PT.
Flávio entered the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) accusing the channel "Lula's Army", managed by federal deputy André Janones (Rede-MG), of disseminating false information and coordinating attacks, which the parliamentarian denies.
Registered by the PL candidate's campaign, the channel "Tropa do Flávio", however, works this way.
As Folha showed, the online mobilization of the PT campaign raised the alarm in Flávio's campaign, which decided to react. At 5pm this Monday, "Lula's Army" had 3.8 million followers on WhatsApp, and "Flávio's Troop" had 1.4 million.
The PL candidate's campaign stated, in a statement, that the channel is an instrument of digital communication and mobilization and that it is registered with the TSE. "Its use complies with current electoral legislation and the rules applicable to digital platforms and, unlike the PT, it does not propagate fake news," he said.
The press office did not respond regarding the image of an alleged militant using drugs. The content was published on Flávio's channel in a sequence of posts critical of the pro-Lula act that took place this Sunday (11), on Avenida Paulista, in São Paulo.
Among the publications posted on "Tropa do Flávio", was one attributed to the page "MSP Brazil", an account with 449 thousand followers on X. It showed a short video of a young woman with red hair holding a card towards her nose. “Militants using supposedly illicit substances during demonstrations,” said the text that accompanied the recording.
Federal deputy Gustavo Gayer (PL) released an audio shortly after the young woman's video, talking about "depredation" and the use of "illicit substances" at the demonstration.
Folha verified that an image capture of the same video has been circulating on Argentine social media pages since at least June. The content can be found in comments on publications that deal with the farewell of Argentine rock singer Indio Solari, who died on June 5th.
The publication was deleted after the report questioned Flávio and Gayer's campaign on the matter.
Gayer told Folha that "at no point is it said that this video of this girl is from Paulista." "It was just a reference to what is seen in left-wing demonstrations around the world. For it to be considered fake news there would have to be a statement of where or when. And that was not done," he stated.
In the audio published by Gayer on the pro-Flávio channel, he states that he was analyzing the images of the demonstration in Paulista. "I'm seeing this depredation, this vandalism, using illicit substances, I think this content could be the 'Not Him' of 2026. Let's publicize this mess they've done a lot, use it on social networks, share it in their WhatsApp groups, broadcast lists", he says.
Flávio himself also shared on social media a video in which elected federal deputy Rony Gabriel (Podemos-RS) criticizes Sunday's demonstration. Among the images associated with the protest, the parliamentarian includes the video of the young woman allegedly using drugs.
"No, Rony, this drug use thing was an isolated act, for sure. It really seems like it's an isolated act that happens all the time, on every corner of every Lula demonstration. The girl had the flu there, poor thing, it's a good thing she had a tissue to help her", says Rony, in a mocking tone.
The fake news was also spread on social media by influencer Pablo Marçal (PRTB), who approached Flávio and is publishing a series of content in his favor, and by businessman Filipe Sabará (PL), an ally of Flávio. Lula's campaign filed a lawsuit with the TSE to demand that the content be deleted from the internet and social networks.
The young woman's video was already released the day before the demonstration on an Argentine account on X that usually publishes right-wing publications. "Thank you, dads. That's what you voted for, to have cheap fat, free football and phantom public offices," he wrote. The following day, another account on
DIGITAL WAR
In addition to the deleted image, most of the content posted on Flávio's channel to be shared by followers in WhatsApp groups and on social media contains compilations of phrases said by Lula out of context, insinuating, for example, that the president attacks religions or defends organized crime.
One of the statements shared is the one that the PT member gave on the 28th, during a rally in Belém, that "women learn to take touch from a young age". The president spoke about men's reluctance to have a prostate exam and later explained that he was referring to the fact that women are accustomed to gynecological exams. The speech was exploited by Bolsonarists as an endorsement of sexual crime.
There are also Lula's gaffes, such as the ceremony to sanction the Anti-Faction Law, in which he thanked senators and deputies for "an important step towards making Brazil one of the most respected countries in the world in terms of organized crime".
In one of the posts, it is said that "Lula chose the side of crime", in an image created by AI with a photo of the president and inmates. There is no context for the attack, which had more than 17 thousand shares on WhatsApp.
Other true content is disseminated to mobilize the conservative electorate. A statement by Lula in which he defends abortion in cases of rape, as permitted by Brazilian law, was published more than once on the channel.
The growth of the left in the digital field worried Bolsonarists, and Gayer told his followers that the objective was to surpass the number of people on the Janones channel — a goal that has not yet been achieved.
Nikolas and Marçal have been releasing videos and audios encouraging digital mobilization. "Speak, guys, this is Nikolas Ferreira, welcome to Flávio's troops. I'll be talking to you here until the end of this second round", sent the deputy.
Just like on Janones' channel, followers receive specific guidance and strategies to expand the reach of the content published. One of the videos with Lula's alleged attacks on Christians was posted with the caption: "This one has to go around Brazil."
