Bolsonaro ordered to kill Lula? Understand what the Federal Police says

The question “Bolsonaro had Lula killed?” gained momentum in Google searches and social media this week, amid the final straight of the 2026 presidential election. The repercussions again brought to light one of the most serious revelations of the investigations into the coup attempt after the 2022 elections: the existence of a plan to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) and Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF).

The plan, called “Green and Yellow Punch”, was identified during investigations by the Federal Police (PF) and involved military linked to the government of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

PG will have two carreatas in support of Flávio Bolsonaro with the participation of Sergio Moro

According to the Prosecutor General of the Republic (PGR), Bolsonaro was aware of the operation and agreed with it. However, it is necessary to distinguish the accusation of having authorized or agreed to the planning of an alleged direct order to kill Lula. It has not been proven that Bolsonaro personally determined the assassination of the president.

What was the plan to kill Lula?

The scheme was uncovered during the investigation of the coup attempt and envisaged violent actions against Brazilian authorities to prevent the inauguration of the elected government in 2022. The investigations indicated that the planning included monitoring of targets, evaluating clandestine operations and the possibility of executions of murders.

Among the people identified as possible victims were:

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva: President elected in October 2022.

Geraldo Alckmin: Vice-President elected on the same board.

Alexandre de Moraes: Minister of STF and then President of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

General of the Reserve Mário Fernandes, who held office in the General Secretariat of the Presidency during the Bolsonaro government, admitted in interrogation to STF, in July 2025, to having prepared the document. Fernandes, however, argued that the material represented only personal thoughts placed in writing and denied having shared it with other people.

What links Bolsonaro to the assassination plan?

In the complaint filed with STF in February 2025, the Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, stated that the planning was brought to the attention of Jair Bolsonaro and received its agreement. One of the elements cited by the prosecution was an audio message attributed to General Mário Fernandes, sent to Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, a former aide to Bolsonaro’s orders.

In the recording, Fernandes reported a conversation with the then president about the period in which certain actions could take place, mentioning Lula’s diplomacy and the end of the presidential term, on December 31, 2022. The investigation also identified that the document with the planning was printed at the Palácio do Planalto in November 2022 and that Fernandes was at the Palácio da Alvorada the same day.

For the PGR, these elements indicated that Bolsonaro was following the evolution of the joint. The former president’s defense, in turn, denied his involvement and his knowledge of the assassination plan. The accusation of knowledge and consent does not, in itself, amount to the proof of a direct order of execution.

Was Bolsonaro convicted of attempted coup?

Oh, yes, yes. On September 11, 2025, the First Class of Supremo Tribunal Federal sentenced Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison, by four votes to one. The former president was convicted of the crimes of armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, coup d’etat, damage qualified by violence and grave threat and deterioration of fallen patrimony.

The trial considered several elements of the coup joint, including the planning of violent actions against authorities. However, Bolsonaro was not specifically convicted of murder or attempted murder of Lula. The distinction is important: the existence of a plan to kill authorities was examined in the context of the coup plot, but did not result in an individual conviction of Bolsonaro for having ordered the killings.

Why did the question go viral right now?

The issue gained prominence again on Tuesday (20), after a digital mobilization related to federal deputy André Janones (Rede-MG), a supporter of President Lula. According to a survey published by the newspaper DCI, Janones encouraged participants of the WhatsApp channel "Exército do Lula" to search for the expression "Bolsonaro had Lula killed" on Google.

The move caused a more than 5,000 percent increase in searches for the phrase, according to the survey based on Google Trends. On Wednesday (21st), the Google service registered more than 500,000 searches associated with the term among Brazilian trends. The mobilization comes just days before the second round of the presidential elections, scheduled for Sunday, October 25, when Lula faces Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL).

Did Bolsonaro have Lula killed?

The answer requires differentiating what was investigated, what the prosecution supported and what was effectively decided by the Justice. The existence of a plan to kill Lula, Alckmin and Moraes was documented by the investigations. The Attorney General’s Office stated that Jair Bolsonaro was aware of the operation and agreed with it. The planning was also considered in the trial of the attempted coup.

On the other hand, no direct order from Bolsonaro determining the execution of the murders has been demonstrated. The former president denies participation in this planning and received no specific conviction for attempted murder. Thus, the categorical assertion that Bolsonaro “sent to kill Lula” goes beyond what is proven in the lawsuits. The documented conclusion is that there was a murder plan and that the prosecution attributed to the former president knowledge and agreement with the operation.

The episode remains one of the most serious revelations of the investigation into the attempted democratic breakdown after the 2022 elections and returns to the center of the Brazilian political debate during the 2026 presidential dispute.