Brazil TSE restricts unilateral suspension of Lula's army channel

Brazil's presidential runoff between Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro is extremely tight, with polls indicating a near tie. Lula has reportedly narrowed the gap, but Bolsonaro maintains a minimal lead in some surveys, making the outcome highly uncertain. The final debate saw both candidates adopt a calmer tone, potentially to appeal to undecided voters.

Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has affirmed the legality of government-sent WhatsApp messages by the Lula campaign, rejecting a Bolsonaro campaign request for suspension. Concurrently, the TSE has established that suspensions of election-related WhatsApp groups require full court approval, limiting unilateral judicial actions. A separate Supreme Court initiative to interfere with WhatsApp channels, linked to Bolsonaro, was halted following press exposure.