The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), stated on Thursday night (21) that there is a “narrative” against former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) that “lacks evidence”. In a publication on X, he said that the former president “respected the result of the election” in 2022, when he lost the race to President Lula (PT).
Earlier, the Federal Police indicted the former president and 36 other people in the investigation investigating an alleged attempted coup d’état in the country. According to the PF, the alleged coup plot included a plan to assassinate Lula, vice-president Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) and minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), before the inauguration.
“There is a widespread narrative against President Jair Bolsonaro that lacks evidence. You have to be very responsible about serious accusations like this. The president respected the election results and the inauguration took place in full normality and respect for democracy. That the ongoing investigation be carried out in order to bring to light the truth of the facts”, said the governor.
Tarcísio is considered one of the favorites to replace Bolsonaro in the race for the presidency in 2026. The governor defends the unity of the right and even declared that the former president is the “greatest political leader” in this political spectrum.
In 2023, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) declared Bolsonaro ineligible for eight years after he criticized the security of electronic voting machines during a meeting with ambassadors in July 2022.
As a result, the former president is prevented from running for any public office until 2030. However, Bolsonaro hopes to reverse the conviction and has more than once declared that he will be the right-wing candidate in the next election.
Bolsonaro says the “fight begins” in the PGR
After being indicted, the former president said that Moraes “conducts the entire investigation, adjusts statements, arrests without complaint, carries out evidentiary fishing and has very creative advice” and that “he does everything that the law does not say”. For Bolsonaro, the PF also used “creativity” to indict him.
In an interview with the Metrópoles portal, he highlighted that he will wait for his lawyers to have access to the document. “We have to see what is in this PF indictment. I’ll wait for the lawyer. This, obviously, goes to the Attorney General’s Office. It is in the PGR that the fight begins. I can’t expect anything from a team that uses creativity to denounce me,” he said.
