When the system debuted, the then president confused the tool; today, Flávio tries to credit his father with authorship
On the day Pix began the registration phase, on October 5, 2020, the then president (PL) said he did not know the Pix transfer system.
When praised by a supporter for implementing the tool, the former president confused Pix with a government package aimed at civil aviation.
The 2020 episode contrasts with the speech defended by the senator (PL-RJ), who has said that his father is the creator of the tool. The defense occurs at a time when there is a clash between the government and the opposition over the tariffs imposed by the United States on Brazilian products and the North American government’s discomfort with Pix.
THE EPISODE IN 2020
In a conversation with supporters in front of the Palácio da Alvorada during Pix’s debut season, a man congratulated Bolsonaro on the new system. He stated that the measure would help the population, would be free, would replace DOC and TED and would operate 24 hours a day.
Bolsonaro confused the topics in his response. He started talking about a package to reduce bureaucracy in civil aviation and pilot qualifications, which would be launched that same week by the then Minister of Infrastructure, (Republicanos-SP).
When corrected by the supporter, who explained that it was a Central Bank payment system, the then president declared: “I didn’t know about it. I’m going to talk to Roberto Campos this week [Neto, então presidente do BC]“.
📹 Bolsonaro said he didn’t know what Pix was in 2020
💲In conversation with supporters at the time, the then president confused the instant transfer system with rules linked to civil aviation.
👇Watch the video:
— Poder360 (@Poder360)
That same day, the BC recorded the creation of more than 1 million keys in 3h30min. Despite being recorded demonstrating empirical ignorance about the system, Bolsonaro’s official profiles on social media had already mentioned the tool at least twice, in February and August 2020.
THE ORIGIN OF PIX
The development of the tool began to be carried out by a technical team from the Central Bank during the (MDB) government, in 2018. The president of the BC at the time was Ilan Goldfajn.
The system was launched and began operating during Bolsonaro’s administration, under the command of Campos Neto. Key registration began on October 5, 2020 and full operation took place on November 16, 2020.
DISPUTE WITH LULA AND THREAT FROM THE USA
The authorship of Pix returned to the electoral and political debate after the USTR (Office of the US Trade Representative) issued a document on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) in which it said that the Central Bank unfairly favors the tool in relation to US card payment companies.
To retaliate against Brazil, a 25% tariff on Brazilian products was proposed, the application of which depends on final approval by the President of the United States, Donald Trump (Republican).
The announcement was made days after Flávio Bolsonaro with the North American president at the White House, a trip in which the congressman celebrated Washington’s decision to classify the PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital) and Comando Vermelho as terrorist organizations.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) Flávio relating the 2 events – the senator’s trip and the US government announcements.
At an event in Goiás on Tuesday (June 2), the PT member called the senator a “traitor of the country” and displayed a sign that said: “Pix is from Brazil”. He also suggested that Flávio asked Trump to intervene against the Brazilian model.
The next day, Flávio responded. At an event in Minas Gerais, a poster with the phrase “Pix is from Brazil and Bolsonaro”.
The congressman declared that he had asked Trump for Brazilian products and attributed the possible new tariff to Lula’s diplomatic relationship, saying that there is “aggressive behavior” from the PT government to the United States.
