Flávio Bolsonaro is Jair Bolsonaro’s chosen candidate to run for president in 2026, according to statements by the senator himself on social media. The revelation surprised both the right and the left, who expected the candidacy of Tarcísio de Freitas, current governor of São Paulo and is, in the polls, the most competitive competitor to President Lula da Silva, who intends to run again. Other presidential candidates with the nickname Bolsonaro, such as former first lady Michelle and deputy Eduardo, are also left out.
“It is with great responsibility that I confirm the decision of Brazil’s greatest political and moral leader, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, to give me the mission of continuing our nation project”, declared Flávio online. Jair Bolsonaro is prevented from running by the Electoral Court and the Federal Supreme Court, which sentenced him to 27 years in prison for a coup d’état and other crimes.
The first reaction was from Eduardo Bolsonaro, who said he supported his older brother’s candidacy “100%”. And Valdemar Costa Neto, president of PL, the family’s party, added that “if the captain said it, it’s said.”
On the left, the decision is viewed favorably because Tarcísio, with a more moderate profile, was considered a more dangerous candidate as he could compete for votes from the center. The Stock Exchange fell 4% shortly after the announcement and the dollar rose against the real, as the São Paulo governor was the markets’ preferred choice.
Flávio, 44 years old, is a businessman and lawyer, he was a state deputy in Rio de Janeiro until, in 2018, he was elected senator for the PL. Seen as the most “political” of the former president’s children, he has a good relationship with center and left-wing parliamentary peers, but has been involved in scandals, such as the “rachadinha”, which consists of receiving the salary of ghost advisors.
Now, it should start to have more exposure at events, throughout Brazil, and is already starting a kind of pre-campaign on the networks. “Many feel abandoned, retirees are robbed by the government itself, narco-terrorists dominate cities and exploit workers, state-owned companies are being looted again, new taxes are constantly being created or increased, our children have no expectations for the future. No one can take it anymore,” he wrote.