Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign advertisement aired without usable audio during Brazil’s free television election slot, while Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s following segment was broadcast normally. The contrast prompted Bolsonaro to publicly question whether the incident was accidental.

In a video response, Bolsonaro said Lula’s program had sound while his own was silent, adding: “Do you believe in coincidence? I don’t.”¹ He urged supporters to circulate the campaign material online, framing the failure as an attempted effort to suppress his message. The advertisement included references to Our Lady of Aparecida and responded to false claims concerning his position on the religious symbol, according to reporting on the campaign.

The immediate reaction among some allies similarly leaned toward suspicion. Commentator Rodrigo Constantino posted, “Radiolão 2.0?”—a brief reference that connected the incident to earlier disputes over the distribution of election advertising.Rodrigo Constantino (Rconstantino)²

The Superior Electoral Court, however, said the episode resulted from a technical problem rather than an intentional intervention. According to the court, the audio tracks for both candidates’ advertisements failed to load during the final preparation of files for the 1 p.m. block. Lula’s file was repaired before transmission because it was scheduled second; Bolsonaro’s, which ran first, went out without audio.³

Broadcasters’ associations Astral and Abert reinforced that account, saying Bolsonaro’s material had arrived “in perfect condition” and that the fault emerged during media processing by the joint broadcaster operation. They said technicians identified the problem and promptly notified the court.⁴ The TSE said Bolsonaro’s corrected program would be aired again under electoral rules, addressing the lost broadcast time while leaving the campaign’s political doubts unresolved.