Overview
- Cabo Daciolo, a former federal deputy and 2026 pre-candidate, told the Fala Glauber podcast on July 2 that he does not believe the person appearing publicly as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is the 'real' Lula.
- Daciolo offered no evidence and did not name who, if anyone, he believes has assumed Lula’s identity.
- He based his doubt on Lula’s age, recent medical history and visible exercise routine, citing the president’s hip prosthesis and public videos of him exercising.
- In the same July 2 interview Daciolo repeated an earlier claim that Jair Bolsonaro’s 2018 stabbing was 'staged,' a position that contradicts official police investigations that found the attacker acted alone.
- National outlets have picked up and criticized the comments, noting the medical team at Hospital Sírio-Libanês reported Lula’s 2023 hip surgery went without complications and warning that the remarks may shape campaign messaging and spread unverified narratives ahead of party conventions.