Brazil's TSE investigates Bolsonaro's son for allegedly spreading 'fake news'

MADRID, 19 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) of Brazil has announced the opening of an investigation for alleged disinformation by Carlos Bolsonaro, son of President Jair Bolsonaro and municipal councilor of Rio de Janeiro.

Inspector General Benedito Gonçalves has determined the investigation against Bolsonaro for his participation in the alleged dissemination of 'fake news', reports G1.

Likewise, the TSE includes in the list of people to investigate profiles of supporters of the Bolsonaro family, including the president himself, a candidate for re-election.

Gonçalves has given the councilman three days to present information on the alleged use of his social networks for political-electoral purposes.

According to the inspector, the suspects would have disseminated erroneous information about the electoral process, so that the disclosure of said identified data could have constituted crimes of abuse of political power, economic power and misuse of the media.

In the decision, Gonçalves stated that the evidence of massive dissemination and disinformation is aimed at the main presidential candidate, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, after he himself had stated that there was a "disinformation ecosystem".

"The material presented by Lula's campaign gives density to public and notorious facts related to the work in the networks of Carlos Bolsonaro and various supporters of the current president, evidences a concerted action for mass dissemination and misinformation, whose main target is to the candidate Lula da Silva," maintains the TSE.

In addition, the inspector has ordered digital platforms such as YouTube to suspend the transfer of resources to four Bolsonarist channels for propagating false content against the leader of the Workers' Party (PT) until the elections conclude, after October 30.