Flávio Bolsonaro, a far-right presidential candidate, asked jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro for R$134 million ($26.8 million) to finance a film about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, according to leaked messages published May 13 by Intercept Brasil [1, 2].
The film is described as a "heroic biopic" with actor Jim Caviezel cast as Jair Bolsonaro [1, 2]. Flávio called Vorcaro his "brother" and stressed urgency to pay actors and the director. He said, "We’re at a very decisive moment for the film and, as there are a lot of outstanding payments, everyone is tense… Imagine us defaulting on someone like Jim Caviezel, or Cyrus … It would be very bad" [1].
Vorcaro is accused of involvement in Brazil’s largest banking fraud scandal, with estimated losses reaching R$60 billion. The funding request was made before Vorcaro’s arrest but after accusations against him publicly surfaced [1].
The request has sparked controversy, delivering what sociologist Celso Rocha de Barros called "by far the worst news for [Flávio’s] campaign so far," warning it "could quickly erode" his anti-establishment appeal [1]. Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema described the funding pursuit as "a slap in the face to decent Brazilians" [1].
Flávio Bolsonaro currently ties incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at 45% voter support each in a head-to-head race for the October 2026 presidential election, according to a Datafolha poll conducted May 12-13 [2]. The poll also showed 9% of voters plan to cast null votes and 1% remain undecided.
Former President Jair Bolsonaro is either under house arrest after a conviction related to an attempted coup, according to one source, or serving a 27-year prison sentence, according to another [1, 2]. Flávio has pledged to seek his father’s release if elected [2].
The next major event in the race is the October 2026 presidential election, with Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign now facing scrutiny over the leaked funding request.
