The communications coordinator for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro’s (PL-RJ) pre-campaign for the Presidency of the Republic, Marcello Lopes, left his position this Wednesday, 20th. Publicist Eduardo Fischer takes over the post.
The decision was taken in the wake of the crisis caused by the website’s report Intercept Brasilwhich revealed a negotiation between Flávio and Daniel Vorcaro, owner of the Master bank, for R$134 million for a film about former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Marcelão, as he is known, was supposed to officially take over pre-campaign communication in June. He was already part of the team, but was defined as responsible for campaign communication on May 12th.
In a statement, Flávio’s team stated that Marcelão was with Flávio this afternoon, when he announced that he could no longer collaborate with the team. The departure was made by mutual agreement, according to them.
“The publicist, who is a personal friend of the congressman, decided, at this moment, to focus on the company itself and prioritize his business. Lopes returns to the United States to fulfill his family agenda”, says the statement.
Marcelão had been criticized by Flávio’s allies and members of the PL because of his conduct of the senator’s response to the crisis, from the release of the video in which the senator tries to explain himself about his relationship with Vorcaro, released on the same day as the complaint, to the other interviews in which he was cornered by journalists.
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Campaign members say that “other frustrations” led to Marcelão’s departure, “but they are unrelated to the Vorcaro case”. The trip he made to the United States in the wake of the crisis angered members of the PL. He returned this Wednesday and went to meet Flávio, who is in São Paulo for meetings with the business community.
“Fischer has a lot of experience in the area of creation, strategy. We hope that he is someone with the ability to provide a suitable outfit, an adequate condition for our candidate to be seen and understood by the Brazilian electorate, as he needs to be increasingly known”, stated the pre-campaign coordinator, senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN).
Marinho called Fischer “the most awarded advertiser in Brazil today” and said that “I had been looking for some time for someone who understands the size and scope of what lies ahead, who can run a professional campaign”. He said he hopes that the presidential candidate’s communication will improve from now on.
The scandal has caused damage to Flávio’s reputation. An Atlas/Intel survey released this week shows that the senator has lost six percentage points since the release of the report.
Asked about the negotiation with a banker involved in the biggest tax fraud in the country, Flávio has responded that it was a request for private financing for a private film. But the high value mentioned, R$134 million, raised questions, including from allies. Of this amount, R$61 million would have been paid.
This is because the money was transferred by Entre Investimentos e Participações (which worked in partnership with Vorcaro companies) to the Havengate Development Fund LP (based in Texas), owned by a lawyer linked to former congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, the senator’s brother.
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The Federal Police are now investigating whether Master’s money was destined for Eduardo’s expenses in the United States.
Fabio Wajngarten talks about ‘sabotage’
Former head of the Presidency’s Communication Secretariat in the Bolsonaro government, Fabio Wajngarten said that Marcelão “was sabotaged by politics” and stated that it was the marketer’s decision to leave his position. Wajngarten also said that the names speculated would not be useful for the campaign and that he will work to ensure that Marcello Lopes remains in the campaign.
“I don’t tolerate injustice: Marcelão is great, a good soul. He was sabotaged by politics. He didn’t fall, he asked to leave. Politics doesn’t understand anything about communication and shouldn’t even get involved. He’s the right person for the job. He’s calm and supportive and has Flávio’s trust and friendship”, said Wajngarten on the social network X, adding:
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“I’m trying to make Marcelão reconsider and, if I’m not successful, I’ll suggest someone Marcelo trusts, who has already had contact with the group so far. The names that pop up as candidates to take on the task are NOT useful. My cell phone melts at this moment so that none of these names are even considered”, said Bolsonaro’s former secretary
