Politics · Brazil · 7 hrs ago
TSE judge restores Lula campaign WhatsApp channel pending full court review
A Brazilian election judge has restored the WhatsApp channel “Exército do Lula,” which is run by federal lawmaker André Janones and supports President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s campaign.
The channel has more than 3 million users.
Earlier on Sunday, the president of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, Kassio Nunes Marques, suspended it after a request from the campaign of Flávio Bolsonaro.
Judge Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva overturned that order, saying there was not enough evidence to justify shutting down the whole channel.
The channel can publish new messages and accept new users while the court considers the case.
Janones must still avoid sharing content that the court has previously ruled unlawful.
The full court will make the final decision, but a hearing date has not yet been set.
TSE judge Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva restored the WhatsApp channel “Exército do Lula” after the tribunal’s president had ordered it suspended.
The channel can publish new messages and accept new followers while the full court reviews the case.
Cueva said the campaign of Flávio Bolsonaro had not provided enough evidence to justify suspending the channel.
He ordered channel administrator André Janones not to share content that the TSE had already found unlawful.
The channel has more than 3 million users.
- Who
- TSE judge Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva restored the channel, which is administered by federal deputy André Janones.
- What
- Cueva reversed the suspension of the “Exército do Lula” WhatsApp channel pending review by the full TSE.
- When
- Sunday, October 11, 2026.
- Where
- The channel operates on WhatsApp in Brazil.
- Why
- Cueva said the Flávio Bolsonaro campaign had not provided enough evidence to justify a broad suspension.
Flávio Bolsonaro campaign
Lula campaign
Channel suspension
Flávio Bolsonaro campaign
The campaign sought to suspend the channel, arguing it spread false content.
Lula campaign
The campaign welcomed the channel’s restoration and said its continued operation ensured a level playing field.
Channel status
Flávio Bolsonaro campaign
The campaign’s petition led TSE president Kassio Nunes Marques to order the channel suspended.
Lula campaign
Cueva restored the channel, allowing new posts and followers while the full court reviews the case.
Freedom of expression is not an obstacle to the suppression of electoral violations. On the other hand, the existence of individual unlawful statements does not authorize, without additional evidence, the restriction of all communication activity carried out in a given digital space.
vector for the dissemination of untrue content on a national scale
absurd
Cueva requested information from the Flávio Bolsonaro campaign before deciding whether the channel was lawful.
TSE president Kassio Nunes Marques ordered the channel suspended after receiving a petition from the Flávio Bolsonaro campaign.
Cueva restored the channel and sent the case to the full TSE for review.
- Channel
- Exército do Lula
- Platform
- Channel administrator
- André Janones, federal deputy for Rede-MG
- Subscribers
- More than 3 million
- Court review
- The full TSE is to consider the case
Sources
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