Bolsa Familia has moved to the center of debate in the closing stretch of Brazil’s presidential election. The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva brought forward the payment calendar so nearly 50 million beneficiaries could collect their money before the runoff. That timing made the social program a prominent campaign issue. Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son, had posted criticism of Bolsa Familia on X. He subsequently removed those messages from his account. The early payment decision and the deletion of the posts now form part of the dispute surrounding the program’s role in the campaign.