Weekly Report - 01 October 2026 (WR-26-39)

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the main right-wing candidate in Brazil’s presidential election, is on the back foot. Forced to deny a viral claim that he plans to remove Our Lady of Aparecida as Brazil’s patron saint, a move which would hurt his standing among religious voters, Bolsonaro is also facing media scrutiny about alleged indirect links to organised crime. The flurry of reports and accusations has piled pressure on him in the days before the 4 October first-round vote.