Police will examine fraud involving funding for the film and possible links to public resources and financial crimes.
On Thursday, Brazil’s Supreme Court authorized the Federal Police to investigate allegations of fraud surrounding the financing of a biographical film about former President Jair Bolsonaro, who remains imprisoned for attempting a coup d’etat.
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Justice Andre Mendonça, who is overseeing the case under judicial secrecy, granted a request from the Federal Police and authorized the opening of the investigation with the approval of the Prosecutor’s Office.
Authorities will now seek to determine whether the film “Dark Horse,” which has not yet been scheduled for release in Brazil and is based on the life of the far-right leader, was financed with funds from a banker imprisoned for fraud and whether it received public funding.
In May, the news outlet Intercept Brasil reported that Daniel Vorcaro, then the owner of Banco Master and now being held in pretrial detention, had agreed to pay US$24 million for the production of Dark Horse. Of that amount, about $12 million was disbursed between February and May 2025.
Intercept Brasil also revealed the close relationship between Vorcaro and Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, who intends to lead the Brazilian right wing and run in the October presidential election.
In fact, the relationship with Vorcaro has weakened the senator’s candidacy. He ranks second in the polls behind current President Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection.
Trailer de “Dark Horse”, filme de Bolsonaro com orçamento multimilionário, foi divulgado na internet.
O filme custou mais de R$65,7 milhões, sendo 90% bancado por Vorcaro. pic.twitter.com/CAAHtjLDXD
— POPTime (@poptime) May 19, 2026
The text reads, “The Dark Horse trailer, a film about Bolsonaro made with a multimillion-dollar budget, has appeared online. The film cost over 65.7 million reais, 90% of which was financed by Vorcaro.”
Although Flavio Bolsonaro initially denied receiving Vorcaro’s sponsorship, the scandal has forced him to acknowledge the relationship while emphasizing that the transaction was “entirely” legal.
Vorcaro and Banco Master, which was liquidated out of court by Brazil’s Central Bank in November 2025, are at the center of another investigation into a multimillion-dollar fraud involving fraudulent loans.
Police also want to investigate whether money disbursed by Banco Master was used to cover expenses in the U.S. for another of Jair Bolsonaro’s sons, former Rep. Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has lived in Florida since early 2025 after declaring himself the victim of “judicial persecution.”
Eduardo sought U.S. President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Brazil in order to derail the coup trial against his father. Despite pressure from Washington, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Jair Bolsonaro to four years in prison under an initial semi-open regime.
Currently, the Brazilian Federal Police also expect to determine whether the film received budget allocations assigned to pro-Bolsonaro members of Congress.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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