Flávio Bolsonaro is desperate about the Master case and acts as a US lobbyist, says minister

The statement appears in a note, in which Guimarães responds to the senator, who placed the blame for the new tariffs imposed by the USA on Lula.

"Flávio Bolsonaro's statements blaming President Lula for the tariffs reveal his despair over the Banco Master scandal and his links with Daniel Vorcaro and Sicário", declared Guimarães.

Flávio asked the former owner of Master for money to complete a film about former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and met the former banker when he was already wearing an electronic ankle bracelet - according to the senator, to "put an end" to the story.

This Wednesday, the ICL Notícias website published a photo in which the PL pre-candidate appears alongside Luiz Phillipi Machado de Moraes Mourão, known as Sicário and appointed by the Federal Police as head of Vorcaro's private militia. Sicário died in March after committing suicide, according to the Federal Police, in a corporation cell in Minas Gerais.

Guimarães also makes a reference, in the note, to movements by Flávio Bolsonaro's allies, such as his brother and former deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro, to pit the American government against the Lula administration. "The presidential candidate and his family have behaved like business lobbyists for the United States in Brazil," declared the minister.

Tariffs are expected to be one of the most explored topics in this year's electoral campaign. The reason is the affinity of Bolsonarism, Lula's opposing political force in the election, with the president of the United States.

In 2025, when he announced the first surcharges, Trump linked the measure to the trial that would convict former president Jair Bolsonaro of an attempted coup. Furthermore, Eduardo moved to the United States, where he says he works with the American government against the Lula administration.

To contain the negative effect of tariffs on his image, Flávio Bolsonaro this month asked US authorities to postpone the decision on tariffs until after the election, under the argument that imposing taxes now would strengthen Lula.

The President of the Republic's political group seeks to frame the senator and his allies as traitors to Brazil. In the note, Guimarães reproduces the same reasoning. He also cites Pix, a popular payment mechanism in Brazil that is attacked by the United States government for reducing the market for American companies such as credit card operators.

"Flávio Bolsonaro is a traitor to his country, who conspires against his own country. Instead of defending Pix, the national economy, jobs and Brazilian workers, he prefers to act as a vassal of US economic interests in Brazil", said the Minister of Institutional Relations.

José Guimarães also told the reporter that the United States government's actions hinder Flávio's own candidacy. "It harms the country, even its voters who are strong in the economy do not accept this 25% tariff," he said.

"Flávio will have a campaign tainted by his irresponsible attitudes towards Brazil. He has no commitment to democracy or sovereignty", declared the minister.

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