Overview
- The DC published a single Instagram post on Friday, May 22, using an AI‑generated video to present ex‑STF minister Joaquim Barbosa as the party’s new presidential pre‑candidate.
- The video shows a simulated Barbosa in a black robe switching off screens that display President Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro while a voice says, “Chegou a hora de virar a página.”
- Aldo Rebelo, who had been the party’s earlier pre‑candidate, condemned the move as an affront and said he will stay in the race after DC announced a disciplinary procedure aimed at his expulsion.
- Party president João Caldas said Rebelo was expelled by unanimous decision, and Rebelo accused leadership of replacing him to shield the Caldas family from fallout in the Banco Master investigation.
- The episode highlights new ethical questions about AI use in campaign messaging, leaves DC internally divided, and could prompt legal challenges or party disputes to be resolved at the convention or in court.