Presidents, judges and a Hollywood movie: The scandal that could decide the elections in the giant state
The Banco Master affair casts a shadow over Brazil's elections: banker Daniel Vorcaro, arrested in November 2025 on suspicion of massive fraud, allegedly linked a Supreme Court justice, a sitting president, and a right-wing candidate. The investigation reveals financial ties, a bottle of whiskey for President Lula, and a request to fund a Hollywood movie about Flavio Bolsonaro's father. The tight polls and the affair's impact on election results.
The Banco Master affair casts a heavy shadow over Brazil's presidential elections, which will open with the first round this coming Sunday. At the center of the affair is banker Daniel Vorcaro, who purchased a small bank on the verge of collapse in 2019 and turned it into a billion-dollar financial empire within six years. On November 17, 2025, Vorcaro was arrested at São Paulo airport while trying to flee to Dubai, after his bank collapsed. The investigation reveals suspicions of massive fraud through the sale of fake credit and fictitious bonds worth billions of dollars, while bribing officials, politicians, and law enforcement. The key connection revealed is to Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, considered a defender of democracy and electoral integrity in Brazil. From text messages recovered from Vorcaro's device, it emerged that the banker transferred a payment to a law firm partially owned by the judge's wife, and that de Moraes himself reviewed and edited the contract. Vorcaro also approached the judge and asked how to avoid investigation and arrest. Additionally, it was revealed that Vorcaro gave President Lula a bottle of whiskey as a gift, and that candidate Flavio Bolsonaro requested funding from him for a Hollywood movie about his father. Lula is trying to distance himself from the affair, but Bolsonaro is exploiting it against him, claiming that "voting for Lula is voting for de Moraes."