Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, said on Friday that his father decided he should represent their political group and run for president in 2026. The elder Bolsonaro was arrested last month and began serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted of attempting a coup. The far-right leader has already been barred from running for office until 2030 as part of a separate process against him. "It is with great responsibility that I confirm the decision of Brazil's greatest political and moral leader, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, to entrust me with the mission of continuing our nation's project," Flavio Bolsonaro wrote on X.
The office of Sen. Bolsonaro confirmed to the AP that he'll challenge President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who's running for a fourth nonconsecutive term, as the candidate of Bolsonaro's Liberal Party. The office also said Flavio Bolsonaro visited his father in prison on Tuesday. Flavio Bolsonaro was elected senator in 2018 for an eight-year term, following a career as a state legislator in Rio de Janeiro. The politician was at the center of allegations of embezzlement of public funds involving the family's political offices. Prosecutors charged him, but the case was dismissed by the courts. The senator has denied any wrongdoing.
Many politicians in Brazil viewed Sao Paulo Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas, a former member of Jair Bolsonaro's Cabinet, as the natural successor. However, he faced resistance from Bolsonaro's inner circle, which has also considered his son, Flavio Bolsonaro, as a presidential option. Opinion polls have shown that the senior Bolsonaro remains central to Brazil's polarized landscape. Even behind bars, he could determine who carries his coalition's flag into the 2026 election. Observers say that to become a competitive contender against Lula, any opposition candidate must first secure the crucial electoral base and explicit support of the far-right leader.
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