Flávio Bolsonaro Softens Attacks on Lula Over Lulinha/Marcola Case, Shifts Focus to Security and Cost of Living

Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, has tempered his public criticism of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva regarding the Lulinha/Marcola affair, according to Lauro Jardim’s column in O Globo. The senator has previously claimed that corruption within the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) reached Lula’s office through the intermediary of Marcos Marcola, the jailed leader of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) criminal faction.

What the Lulinha/Marcola allegation involves

The Lulinha/Marcola case centers on accusations that Lula’s son, Luiz Claudio Lula da Silva (known as Lulinha), received improper benefits from schemes tied to Marcola. The allegations surfaced during a 2023 Parliamentary Inquiry Committee (CPI) into the INSS, where Marcola testified about purported payments to companies linked to Lulinha. No concrete evidence of wrongdoing by either Lula or his son has been presented in court, and the matter remains under investigation.

Campaign shifts to security and cost of living

Jardim reports that Flávio Bolsonaro’s electoral campaign has deliberately moved away from emphasizing the Lulinha/Marcola topic. Internal campaign sources told the columnist that the strategy is now concentrated on two themes identified as top voter concerns in recent polls: public safety and the cost of living/in-debtness. "We will discuss Lula 3, that did not deliver what he promised," a campaign member said.

Why Flávio avoids direct attacks

The senator has been advised to refrain from leading attacks on the Lulinha/Marcola issue because he, too, faces legal vulnerabilities—a reference to having a "telhado de cristal" (glass roof). Instead, the role of attacking Lula on this front is being handled by bolsonarista influencers, allied parliamentarians, and Alfredo Gaspar, the vice‑presidential candidate who previously served as rapporteur of the INSS CPI.

Broader electoral context

The Zero Um campaign, aligned with former president Jair Bolsonaro, seeks to portray the current Lula administration as failing on promises of economic improvement and security. By focusing on violence and household expenses, the campaign aims to tap into widespread voter dissatisfaction without exposing its own candidates to counter‑accusations related to the Lulinha/Marcola controversy.

Single‑source reporting

All details in this article are drawn from Lauro Jardim’s O Globo blog post published on August 20, 2026. No additional sources were consulted for the factual claims presented.