Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and a candidate in Brazil's October presidential election, said on Friday (28) there is "absolutely nothing wrong" in his relationship with Daniel Vorcaro, the former owner of Banco Master who is now in jail. He made the statement in an interview with TV Globo, conducted by journalists Renata Vasconcellos and César Tralli and aired live after the network's flagship newscast. In the same interview, he said his brother, former congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, made a mistake when he thanked US President Donald Trump for the tariffs imposed on Brazil, and he avoided answering directly whether he would accept the election result if he loses.
The Master case and the 'Dark Horse' film
In May, audio recordings revealed that Flávio asked Vorcaro for R$ 61 million (about US$ 11 million) to fund Dark Horse, a film about his father. "That was a sponsorship, there was no transfer to Flávio Bolsonaro," the senator said, according to G1. Asked about a message in which he told the banker "I will always be with you," he answered: "The only relationship I had with him was about this film, nothing else."
The candidate said he demanded the production company present its accounts within 30 days and that it did so before the deadline, including to a São Paulo Civil Police investigation. According to G1's reporting, however, the auditor hired by the producer had no access to the US fund that received Vorcaro's money and presented no invoices, transfer receipts or the path taken by R$ 75 million. Flávio has not made the film's cost spreadsheets or the contract public.
Asked whether it was appropriate to have visited Vorcaro in late 2025, when the banker was already jailed and wearing an electronic ankle monitor, the senator did not answer directly and turned the criticism to President Lula. "What is not appropriate is a president of the republic receiving a banker in a secret meeting, promising to help him solve his bank's problem. The one who owes explanations is Lula," he said. Vorcaro is under Federal Police investigation for money laundering, corruption and criminal organization, among other crimes.
Tariffs and Eduardo Bolsonaro
On the US tariffs on Brazilian products, Flávio blamed the Lula government and defended his brother, but acknowledged a mistake. "He never asked for tariffs on Brazilian companies. He was wrong to offer thanks regarding the tariffs. The work he did was to raise awareness, and the decision was made by the American government," he said, according to Poder360. When the tariffs were announced, Eduardo posted on X that Trump's letter confirmed "the success in conveying" the information he had been presenting to US officials. The former congressman has lived in the United States since early 2025 and was convicted by Brazil's Supreme Court of coercion during legal proceedings, for trying to interfere in criminal cases involving the former president.
Asked about the credibility of Brazil's electronic voting machines, the PL candidate said: "I am not questioning the electronic voting machines. I will respect the electoral process, I will respect the election result." When the interviewers asked again whether he would accept a defeat, Flávio did not answer directly, said he will win in the first round and appealed to the more than 32 million voters who did not show up at the polls in 2022, Poder360 reported.
The senator also criticized his father's conviction by the Supreme Court to 27 years and 3 months in prison for attempted coup d'etat after the 2022 election. "A great farce was set up" to "take Bolsonaro out of public life," he said. "He was judged by his enemies." On General Mario Fernandes, who confirmed he wrote the document planning the assassination of Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, Flávio answered: "If that general planned it, the responsibility is his."
Flávio Bolsonaro's interview was the fifth in TV Globo's series with the six candidates best placed in the Quaest poll released on August 14. The round ends this Saturday (29) with Augusto Cury (Avante), after the evening newscast.