Brazil in February 2026: the most important developments in politics
In Brazil in February 2026, the dominant political story was the position of former President Jair Bolsonaro. His health was reported to be worsening while a court considered house arrest, and a state governor said he had argued for it. Military prosecutors asked for Bolsonaro to be stripped of his military rank. A wing of the Supreme Military Court then asked for the trial to be postponed until after the October elections, with the court's prosecutor general arguing the case is not urgent and should not influence the electoral process. Bolsonaro's wife and a key ally asked supporters to reduce attacks on the Supreme Court.
The second theme was positioning for the October elections. President Lula described the challenges ahead, citing the need to rebuild state capacity and manage a fragmented Congress, with tax reform and social programs as priorities. The Workers' Party president met opposition figures, and the head of the Brazilian Socialist Party criticised the Workers' Party over its treatment of Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. Attention turned to the São Paulo state race. Fernando Haddad was reported to be running for governor after meeting Lula. Flávio Bolsonaro drew level in polls with Lula's preferred candidate for the first time, and said a ticket would be finalised by 30 March after talks with Governor Tarcísio de Freitas.
On government business, Lula vetoed a bill that would have granted pay rises above the legal ceiling to members of Congress, judges and prosecutors. He also defended term limits for Supreme Court ministers. The lower house approved a bill to combat online misinformation and a Lula proposal to create a new federal institute.
A court convicted former lawmakers, among them Chiquinho Brazão, of ordering the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, and convicted two former police officers of carrying out the killings. Separately, Flávio Bolsonaro faced an inquiry by social security auditors over the hiring of former advisors, other Bolsonaro family members faced investigations, and a Senate committee approved lifting the banking secrecy of Lula's son.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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