🇧🇷Week of October 19

A city employee was removed from duty after the leak. The São Paulo city government denies that the system itself failed and blames a server for the exposure.123

Mayor Ricardo Nunes responded to the leak by calling the system 'absolutely secure.'4

The leak drew attention beyond Brazil, with the OECD's AI Policy Observatory describing it as a massive data leak from São Paulo's AI surveillance system.5

A gunshot fired at a bar in São Paulo wounded presenter Fred Bruno in the foot during a party. Federal deputy Marcelo Aguiar, of the PL, was detained over the discharge of a firearm at the venue.123

Fred Bruno said the episode "could have been worse" and that it "cannot go unpunished." A PSOL deputy filed a request to strip Marcelo Aguiar of his mandate over the shooting.453

The delegate handling the case did not request a breathalyzer test for Marcelo Aguiar after the shooting. The Alesp, São Paulo's state legislature, opened an internal inquiry into the discharge and will also examine a complaint that the deputy used an official car irregularly.627

O Globo reported that the PL deputy detained over the shooting lost 92 percent of his assets in six years.8

Meta's oversight board said the company lacked transparency about its conduct during Brazil's elections and pointed to recurring failures in how it moderated electoral content. The finding landed as the company faced scrutiny from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and from the campaigns, days before the runoff between President Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.1234

Lula decided to seek the annulment of Flávio Bolsonaro's candidacy over what the report described as Meta's interference. The company has denied political interference in Brazil's elections and attributed problems affecting Lula's networks to technical incidents, describing them as a global technical failure in displaying the total view count on his posts.56

Attributed claim: UOL columnist Josias de Souza wrote that Meta calls evidence worthy of investigation 'technical failures.' The company's public denial sits alongside an internal Meta message, reported by Folha de S.Paulo, acknowledging that Lula's account was harmed.63

President Lula said he was convinced to change his position on lowering the age of criminal responsibility, a reversal he acknowledged publicly. The statement came as security policy and the age of criminal responsibility moved to the center of the election campaign.12

O Globo reported that Lula cited a nonexistent 2018 proposal by Haddad on reducing the age of criminal responsibility while admitting he had changed his mind. Poder360 reported the reversal itself without that detail.21

Senate President Davi Alcolumbre postponed the Public Security constitutional amendment until after the election to avoid a dispute over the age of criminal responsibility, Folha de S.Paulo reported. The delay keeps the measure off the agenda during the second round between Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.3

A Real Time Big Data survey reported by VEJA measured public opinion on reducing the age of criminal responsibility and other security proposals. Estadão published an opinion piece calling the reduction a false solution, arguing that locking people up earlier only prolongs failure.45

The Lula government prepared the documents raising Bolsa Família on the eve of the announcement and kept the process confidential, according to documents obtained by Estadão and Folha de S.Paulo. The adjustment was edited in a single day. The change moved October payments forward so that beneficiaries receive the adjusted amount before the second round of the presidential election, which pits Lula against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.12

October Bolsa Família payments end Tuesday, and the government concentrated the month's deposits into three days, moving them ahead of the runoff vote. The government cited the effects of El Niño when announcing the calendar change. The schedule adjustment reached every beneficiary.34

Jovem Pan reported that the adjusted Bolsa Família began to be deposited early. The payments close out Tuesday, and beneficiaries can check the amount and their eligibility through the usual channels.43

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign is preparing a television program on Bolsa Família after a recording surfaced in which economic coordinator Daniella Marques cites a new rule for the benefit. The campaign has mobilized allies to contain the fallout from the episode.123

The campaign intends to treat the controversy as a 'new fake news about Nossa Senhora,' the line it used in the earlier disinformation dispute over the patron saint. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro also deleted posts in which he had criticized Bolsa Família and called the benefit 'bolsa-farelo.'45

The episode lands in the second round of the presidential race between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, with a debate between them scheduled on Band. The Lula government had already changed the October Bolsa Família payment calendar, concentrating the month's payments into three days ahead of the runoff.23

Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) ordered Meta to show within 24 hours what measures it has taken to guarantee equal treatment between the campaigns of President Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. The order was issued by a TSE minister and reported on Monday. The court had already upheld an order requiring Meta to guarantee equal treatment for candidates in the distribution of political and electoral content, and Justice Bellizze had barred Meta from restricting the reach of candidates' posts.123

Entities told the TSE that they had found new evidence of unequal treatment by Meta toward Lula and Flávio, the Folha de S.Paulo columnist Mônica Bergamo reported. The new filings came as the court pressed the company for proof of its compliance.41

Meta has denied political interference in Brazil's elections, attributing problems affecting Lula's networks to "technical incidents" and describing the issue as a global technical failure in displaying the total view count on Lula's posts. An internal Meta message acknowledged that Lula's account was harmed, according to Folha de S.Paulo.4

Activists held a protest at Meta's headquarters in São Paulo denouncing interference in the election, CartaCapital reported. The demonstration took place as the TSE's 24-hour deadline ran.5

The Lula government changed the October Bolsa Família calendar, concentrating the month's payments into three days and moving them ahead of the second round of the presidential election. All beneficiaries will receive the adjusted amount before the runoff. Payments for the month began on Monday.1234

The adjustment reaches every beneficiary, and the government cited the effects of El Niño when announcing the change. The schedule change was reported on Monday, with later accounts on Thursday repeating that the payments were brought forward before the second round.12567

The second round of the presidential race is between Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, with a debate between them scheduled on Band. The Bolsa Família payments were moved ahead of that vote.137

Brazil's Federal Police arrested the mother and brother of rapper Oruam in an operation targeting the Comando Vermelho's monopoly on internet service, according to G1, UOL, VEJA, O Globo and CNN Brasil. The operation also detained the wife and son of Marcinho VP, UOL reported.12345

Rio de Janeiro city councillor Fábio Silva was arrested in the same operation and is accused of owning internet providers linked to the Comando Vermelho, O Globo reported.43

Jovem Pan, a right-leaning outlet, reported on Thursday that the arrests of Oruam's mother and brother were carried out in a Federal Police operation against the Comando Vermelho.6

Protests across France over the weekend increased pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government, with the premier saying the country will adopt curfews and has not ruled out a state of emergency. The demonstrations extended into Paris, where cafés stayed open while streets burned during what one account called a "surreal" night in the capital.123

Valor Econômico, a centre-right outlet, described the unrest as a social crisis exposing a "slow agony" in Macron's final months in power. The curfew and possible emergency measures were announced by the prime minister, who said a state of emergency remains on the table.24

Video coverage showed a couple drinking at a café as protests took over Paris, an image that ran alongside reports of open cafés and burning streets on the same night. The government's response now centers on curfews, with emergency powers held in reserve.532