Governors allied with Jair Bolsonaro publicly came out in defense of the former president, who was arrested this Saturday, with direct criticism of Minister Alexandre de Moraes’ decision. Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) said that Bolsonaro “is innocent and time will show”. Ratinho Junior (PSD) stated that there was “insensitivity on the part of the Judiciary”, while Romeu Zema classified the measure as “political revanchism” and “arbitrary”.
The demonstrations occur at a time when conservative parties admit that Bolsonaro’s succession could be brought forward.
Appointed as Centrão’s favorite to assume Bolsonaro’s legacy, the governor of São Paulo said that Bolsonaro has faced attacks and “all injustices with the firmness and courage of a few”.
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“Removing a 70-year-old man from his home, disregarding his serious health condition and ignoring all appeals from the most diverse sources, all medical reports and evidence, in addition to being irresponsible, violates the principle of human dignity”, he wrote, who was a minister in the Bolsonaro government.
Ratinho stated that the arrest demonstrates “insensitivity of the Judiciary” and sent solidarity to the family. Ratinho tries to occupy space between conservatism and Centrão, but still faces resistance from Bolsonaro’s most loyal base, who see him as a more pragmatic name than an ideological one.
Zema adopted a harsher tone. The governor said that “injustice prevailed”, stated that the measure was “political revenge” and argued that Bolsonaro “isolated and monitored 24 hours a day” did not represent a risk that would justify arrest. For Zema, the episode is an “abuse of power” and a sign of “opponent silencing”.
In turn, Caiado, who launched his pre-candidacy in September, had not commented until late this Saturday morning.
For PL and Centrão leaders, the reaction of governors and Congress leaders confirms that Bolsonaro’s arrest should accelerate the reorganization of the right and anticipate the internal dispute for a successor. With the former president out of the electoral game, parties see the need to define in 2025 who should lead the conservative field in 2026.
Other conservative leaders also spoke out.
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Senator Tereza Cristina (PP-MS) called the arrest “abusive” and part of a “sequence of arbitrariness”, defending respect for due legal process. The president of the PP, Ciro Nogueira, stated that Bolsonaro is experiencing “martyrdom” and that “myths do not succumb to violence”, reinforcing solidarity with the former president.
