Former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro denies that she is ready or determined to run for President of the Republic in 2026, if her husband, former president Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to 27 years in prison for an attempted coup d’état, is unable to run.
“I may run for any available position or even none of them. For now, there is no intention of running as some have claimed,” she told Reuters in writing, in a rare interview.
Bolsonaro’s wife said that the family’s routine has been profoundly changed since the ex-president’s house arrest was ordered by the Federal Supreme Court (STF), two months ago. The restrictions left Bolsonaro as if they had “unplugged him” and affected his health, demanding more care, he said.
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“Together, these measures reduced his immunity and worsened his health condition, requiring more dedication on my part to his recovery process,” said the former first lady, adding that she feared that a possible closed prison could worsen Bolsonaro’s health condition.
Like many of the former president’s allies, Michelle supports amnesty for her husband and others convicted of planning a coup, although this pressure has lost strength in Congress, as polls and protests have shown that many Brazilians do not approve of this pardon.
The 43-year-old former first lady, who defends religious and conservative values, frequently appears in polls of voting intentions as the most popular member of the Bolsonaro family besides the former president himself, ahead of her stepchildren, who are parliamentarians.
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Michelle, who is president of the PL women’s movement — Bolsonaro’s party — stated that any decision about running for public office would first require “the well-being and integrity” of her family, “mutual agreement” with her husband and “above all, the manifestation of God’s will in my life”.
The former first lady criticized those who are already looking to choose a name to succeed Bolsonaro in the 2026 presidential race. Likewise, she dismissed speculation about conversations to become vice-president in a possible ticket with the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), if he launches his candidacy.
“I never discussed electoral matters with Governor Tarcísio. The biggest name on the Brazilian right is my husband, Jair Bolsonaro,” she said.
In addition to the attempted coup, Bolsonaro is ineligible until 2030 due to two convictions from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
Michelle also defended federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), and rejected rumors that his actions in the United States may have had a negative impact on her father.
The congressman moved to the US earlier this year, aiming to gain support from President Donald Trump against his father’s conviction.
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The strategy triggered tariffs on Brazilian products and restrictions on authorities, a reaction that the Brazilian government is now trying to reverse through rapprochement between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Trump.
Michelle also said that the presence of her stepchildren — except Eduardo, who is legally prevented from contacting his father due to his actions in the US — has been crucial during Bolsonaro’s period of house arrest.
His account of life under surveillance also echoed what the former president called the “humiliation” of being forced to wear an electronic ankle bracelet, in an interview with Reuters earlier this year.
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“You can’t say everything is fine when, for example, the car that takes my daughter to school is searched every time she leaves or arrives home,” said Michelle. “I have made every effort to ensure that she does not suffer even more in the midst of so much humiliation.”
