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**Lula’s Witch Hunt: Blaming Bolsonaro for INSS Fraud Ignores Brazil’s Real Challenges**
By Laiz Rodrigues May 11, 2025
In a desperate bid to salvage his crumbling presidency, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has unleashed a vicious smear campaign against Jair Bolsonaro, accusing him of orchestrating a so-called “INSS fraud” that allegedly siphoned R$6.5 billion from pensioners. The leftist PT machine, led by Gleisi Hoffmann, is peddling a “dossiê” claiming Bolsonaro’s administration enabled this scandal through negligence or worse. But this narrative is nothing more than political theater, designed to distract from Lula’s own failures and obscure the impossible conditions Bolsonaro faced during his presidency. From the COVID-19 crisis to relentless Supreme Federal Court (STF) attacks, Bolsonaro governed under siege—yet Lula conveniently ignores these realities to paint his rival as a villain.
The Truth About the INSS Fraud
The INSS fraud, involving unauthorized deductions from pensioners’ benefits by shady associations, is a serious issue that demands accountability. But let’s be clear: this scam began in 2019, before the world turned upside down, and its roots lie in systemic flaws predating Bolsonaro’s tenure. The fraud grew to R$6.5 billion by 2024, with a staggering 63%—R$4.1 billion—occurring under Lula’s watch, according to the Tribunal of Accounts (TCU). If anyone should answer for this explosion, it’s Lula, whose administration dawdled until April 2025’s Operation Sem Desconto to suspend fraudulent agreements. Yet, in true PT fashion, Lula points the finger at Bolsonaro, banking on Brazil’s short memory.
Lula’s accusations hinge on two claims: that Bolsonaro’s laws, like Law 14.438/2022, dismantled anti-fraud safeguards, and that his INSS signed risky agreements with entities like Ambec. These are half-truths at best. Law 14.438/2022, which revoked deduction revalidation, was a congressional amendment passed by a Centrão-led Chamber, including votes from Lula’s allies like Wolney Queiroz’s PDT. Bolsonaro, lacking a stable coalition, had to navigate a hostile Congress to pass any legislation—a reality Lula, with his cozy PT alliances, never faced. Sanctioning the law was a political necessity, not a plot to enable fraud. As for the INSS agreements, they were administrative decisions by appointees under pressure to streamline pension access during a crisis. Blaming Bolsonaro personally is like holding Lula accountable for every corrupt mayor in PT-run cities.
Governing Through a Perfect Storm
To understand why the INSS fraud wasn’t Bolsonaro’s priority, consider the chaos he faced. The COVID-19 pandemic hit Brazil like a tsunami, claiming over 700,000 lives and tanking the economy by 4.1% in 2020. Bolsonaro’s administration scrambled to deliver Auxílio Emergencial, a R$322 billion lifeline to millions, while battling a decentralized health response forced by the STF. With INSS offices shuttered and staff slashed (23,000 vacancies by 2022), fraud detection took a backseat to survival. Procon-SP’s 2019 alert about 16,000 irregular deductions? Buried under the weight of a global crisis. DataPrev’s underfunding? A casualty of budgets redirected to ventilators and vaccines. Governing during COVID was like steering a ship through a hurricane—yet Bolsonaro kept Brazil afloat.
Then there was the STF, led by Alexandre de Moraes, waging what conservatives rightly call “lawfare” against Bolsonaro. The court’s Inquérito das Fake News (2019–2022) targeted allies like Roberto Jefferson and Daniel Silveira, culminating in Silveira’s 2022 arrest for criticizing justices. The STF probed Bolsonaro’s sons, blocked his COVID policies, and investigated post-election protests, culminating in his 2025 coup trial. This judicial onslaught, cheered by PT elites, forced Bolsonaro to fight on multiple fronts, diverting focus from issues like INSS oversight. X users like @nikolas_dm have called Moraes a “dictator,” and they’re not wrong—the STF’s overreach crippled Bolsonaro’s ability to govern freely. Lula’s silence on this judicial persecution is telling; he’d rather exploit the chaos than admit it.
Lula’s Hypocrisy and Political Games
Lula’s accusations are a masterclass in deflection. His approval ratings are tanking—51% disapproval in April 2025, per Quaest—and scandals like Carlos Lupi’s resignation over corruption allegations aren’t helping. By blaming Bolsonaro for the INSS fraud, Lula shifts focus from his own failures. Why didn’t he suspend those fraudulent convênios in 2023, when complaints hit 30,000? Why did R$4.1 billion in deductions happen on his watch? Operation Sem Desconto, hailed by PT’s @ptbrasil as Lula’s triumph, only came in 2025, after years of losses. If Bolsonaro’s INSS was negligent, what does that make Lula’s?
The PT’s dossiê, claiming “criminal engineering” by Bolsonaro, is pure propaganda. It cites unproven ties, like a R$1 donation from a fraud suspect, while ignoring that PT allies backed fraud-enabling amendments. Lula’s AGU demands R$2 billion in reparations, but where’s the accountability for his own INSS leadership? The fraud’s systemic roots—outdated IT, understaffing, Centrão greed—span decades, yet Lula acts like Bolsonaro invented corruption. This is the same Lula who dodged Lava Jato convictions, only to be rehabilitated by his STF allies. Conservatives see through this: it’s a witch hunt to keep Bolsonaro down, especially as his 2025 trial looms.
Bolsonaro’s Record: Fighting Against the Odds
Despite the odds, Bolsonaro delivered for Brazil. He passed the 2019 pension reform, saving billions, and issued MP 871/2019 (Law 13.846/2019) to curb INSS fraud with data cross-checks—measures Lula now claims credit for enforcing. His hands-off style trusted appointees, and yes, some failed him, like INSS chief José Carlos Oliveira. But governing isn’t micromanaging; it’s setting a vision. Bolsonaro’s vision—economic freedom, family values, anti-elite defiance—resonated with millions, even as the STF and media vilified him. The INSS fraud was a bureaucratic failure, not a Bolsonaro conspiracy, and it pales next to his successes under pressure.
Conservatives must rally behind Bolsonaro, not Lula’s lies. The INSS fraud demands reform, not scapegoats. Brazil’s real enemies are the entrenched elites—PT, STF, Centrão—who thrive on division. As @eduardobolsonaro tweeted, “They want to bury my father, but the truth will prevail.” Let’s demand accountability for all, not just the right’s champion.