The key facts
- Lula asked to lift banking and telephone secrecy for 8 years, filing documents with the TSE and the Supreme Federal Court
- The disclosure covers Lula, First Lady Janja, their five children and related companies — conditional on reciprocity from Flavio Bolsonaro
- Bolsonaro has not accepted the challenge; the second round is set for October 25 after the first round on October 4, in which no one reached 50%
Request to disclose banking data
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that he had petitioned the country's top electoral body to lift the banking and telephone secrecy that had applied to him over the past eight years. He called the disclosure an act in defense of his own honor and urged his election rival Flavio Bolsonaro to follow his example and ensure similar transparency.
Reciprocity terms and scope of the request
According to the documents filed with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and the Supreme Federal Court, the waiver of secrecy allows verification of the banking, tax and communications records of Lula, First Lady Janja, their five children and related companies. However, this condition applies only if Flavio Bolsonaro agrees to a mutual disclosure of his own data.
Context of the second round
Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, did not immediately accept the thrown-down challenge. The situation unfolds ahead of the second round of the presidential election, scheduled for October 25. Neither Lula nor Flavio Bolsonaro surpassed the 50% threshold of votes needed to win in the first round on October 4.
