Brazil Electoral Court Bans Use of Bolsonaro’s Image Suggesting Current Campaign Support

Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has barred candidates from using the image of former President Jair Bolsonaro on campaign materials that suggest his current political-electoral support, dealing a blow to the strategy of right-wing candidates who rely on his name recognition and endorsement. The preliminary injunction (liminar), issued by Minister Estela Aranha, specifically targets the popular 'santinhos'—small, printed campaign flyers—and other materials that position Bolsonaro as an active supporter of a candidate.

The ruling is a significant extension of the consequences tied to Bolsonaro’s eight-year ban from public office. In June 2023, the TSE declared the former president ineligible to run for any election until 2030 due to abuse of political power and misuse of the media. The court now views the prominent display of his photograph alongside a candidate's number or name as an attempt to circumvent that ban by essentially allowing him to make a political statement through a third party.

Minister Aranha based her decision on a previous determination by a Supreme Court (STF) Justice that prohibited Bolsonaro from making political-electoral manifestations, including through intermediaries, until the end of the 2026 elections. The specific case that triggered the ruling involved a candidate for state deputy in São Paulo who had distributed tens of thousands of 'santinhos' featuring a prominent photo of Bolsonaro.

The injunction does not issue a blanket ban on the former president's likeness; images of Bolsonaro from historical moments in his political career are not covered by the restriction. Instead, the prohibition focuses squarely on materials where the context of the image suggests a current and active endorsement, which the court views as a violation of the spirit of his ineligibility ruling.

This preliminary decision from Brazil’s highest electoral court sets a critical precedent that will affect candidates aligned with Bolsonaro across the country, particularly as the next round of municipal elections approaches. For those running for mayor or city council, the inability to prominently feature the former president’s image removes a core piece of their campaign strategy, forcing them to find new ways to leverage his popular conservative base without violating the court’s expanding restrictions on his political influence.