Flavio Bolsonaro's 'corrupto' palm stunt backfires into viral meme before Brazil election runoff
Flávio Bolsonaro walked into a primetime debate against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with the word “corrupto” written on his palm - and viewers sarcastically read it as an admission of his own guilt. After Sunday night's debate, Lula supporters flooded social media writing their own identities on their palms.
Flavio Bolsonaro's 'corrupto' palm stunt backfires into viral meme before Brazil election runoff
The Flávio Bolsonaro “corrupto” palm stunt, scrawled before the Brazil election runoff, instead produced the viral meme of the race.
The debate moment that misfired
Flávio Bolsonaro appeared at a primetime television debate against his leftwing opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with the word “corrupto” (corrupt) written on the palm of his hand.
It backfired. Many of the programme's millions of viewers sarcastically took the hand-written message as an admission of Bolsonaro's own guilt.
A nation writes on its palms
After Sunday night's debate, Lula supporters from all walks of life flooded social media with photographs of their own self-descriptions inked on their palms. The corrupto meme spread quickly:
- John Ulhoa, guitarist of the pop rock band Pato Fu, jokingly wrote “musician (and a hunk)”
- The Emmy-winning comedian Antonio Tabet introduced himself to his 2.8 million followers on X as an artist
- Carlos Marcio used both palms to portray himself as a cellist and author
- Obstetric nurse Carla Emanuela Sacramento posted a photo in protective equipment with “primary health care nurse” written on her right palm
- Health minister Alexandre Padilha, an infectious disease specialist, noted on his palm that he was a doctor
- Tabata Amaral identified herself as a political scientist and astrophysicist
Librarians, oil workers, engineers, journalists, architects, pilots, psychologists, seamstresses, street cleaners, teachers, influencers and police officers all used ballpoint pens to inscribe their professions on their skin.
'A critical error'
The Latin America expert James Bosworth called Bolsonaro's stunt a “critical error” in his bid for power. Writing on Substack, he said Bolsonaro had given the world a meme image that will stick with him for the rest of his political career.
“Don't write the word ‘corrupto’ on your hand and show it to the audience,” Bosworth suggested.
Corruption scrutiny around the senator
Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, has long faced corruption accusations, although he denies them and has never been convicted. The report also describes documented ties to Rio's mafia underworld: he once employed relatives of the city's most notorious contract killer, Adriano da Nóbrega.
Last week two of his allies were arrested for alleged involvement with the Red Command drug faction, which Donald Trump recently designated a foreign terrorist organisation. Bolsonaro voiced surprise at the arrests and said the men had the right to prove their innocence. On Monday, Brazilian media reported he was being investigated by the federal police as part of a money-laundering inquiry.
During the debate, Lula offered to give electoral authorities access to his banking and phone recordings, and those of close relatives, if Bolsonaro did the same. Polls suggest Bolsonaro holds a slender advantage before Sunday's second-round runoff, after winning the 4 October first round by more than 2m votes - but he has yet to respond to the challenge.
