Appointed by the family as spokesman for his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who has been in preventive custody since Saturday, senator Flávio Bolsonaro criticized the visit time authorized by the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
On social media, the politician said that meetings with his relative “have become even more restricted” now that he has been taken to the Federal Police Superintendence.
In an order this Sunday, Minister Alexandre de Moraes, from the STF, authorized the visit of Flávio and two other sons of the former president, Carlos and Jair Renan, but one at a time and for up to 30 minutes. Furthermore, visitors are “expressly prohibited” from using cell phones, taking photos or recording images at the meeting, according to the magistrate’s decision.
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Moraes cited in his decision a Federal Police ordinance that regulates visits to detainees. According to the rule, “(visits) will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9 am to 11 am, lasting 30 (thirty) minutes, with a limit of 2 (two) family members per day of visit”.
Flávio argued that the visits are “important” — and half an hour would be little — to see “with your own eyes” how the father’s health is and receive “any guidance that is important”.
“Cruelties have no limits,” he wrote in the post. “Just 30 minutes of conversation. This type of limitation is a knife in the chest for a father and a son. But we will overcome it.”
In the post, the senator also shared, on video, his statements at the press conference held after an emergency meeting called at the PL headquarters. Flávio stated that the opposition’s “sole objective” now is to approve amnesty for those convicted and investigated for the acts of January 8th. The meeting brought together Michelle Bolsonaro, Carlos Bolsonaro and Jair Renan, as well as lawyer Paulo Bueno and parliamentarians aligned with the party’s most ideological core.
At the meeting, leaders and parliamentarians agreed to support the processing of the project that reduces penalties — reported by Paulinho da Força (Solidariedade-SP) — as a way of keeping the issue alive and, in parallel, and trying to change it in plenary, to resurrect total amnesty. Names such as Nikolas Ferreira, Altineu Cortês, Sóstenes Cavalcante, Rogério Marinho and Carlos Portinho were present.
The strategy, however, has little chance of prospering: prominence would depend on support much greater than the size of the Bolsonaro bench, which totals just over ninety deputies.
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The move represents a change in the PL’s position, which until last week publicly maintained that broad amnesty was the only alternative. Now, part of the bench assesses that supporting dosimetry guarantees an immediate political reaction to the arrest of the former president and reopens room for negotiation with Centrão.
Leaders of these parties, however, claim that there is no environment to vote on any proposal related to January 8th. The matter will be taken to this Tuesday’s leaders’ meeting, and the president of the Chamber, Hugo Motta, should only discuss the matter if there is consensus — which has not occurred in recent weeks.
The sentence reduction text would also reach Bolsonaro, sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison, and could reduce the sentence by at least seven years.
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Although Arthur Lira’s (PP-AL) demonstration in defense of Bolsonaro encouraged part of the opposition on Saturday, allies of the president of the Chamber classify the gesture as symbolic and believe that the agenda remains stuck.
Paulinho da Força stated over the weekend that the prison could speed up the vote, but those around him are already ruling out that the project will move forward this week in the face of resistance from Centrão.
Spokesperson for Bolsonarism
After Bolsonaro’s arrest, senator Flávio Bolsonaro and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro were considered as possible spokespeople for the former president. At Monday’s meeting, the senator was chosen as the father’s intermediary.
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During the press conference, he reinforced that his father’s health is fragile and that the family wants him returned to house arrest, which was denied by minister Alexandre de Moraes after the attempt to damage the electronic ankle bracelet.
Moraes’ decision that took Bolsonaro into custody cites a call made by Flávio for a vigil that would take place on Saturday. In the minister’s argument, the former agent had tried to break the ankle bracelet to escape. Flávio denied his father’s intention to escape and reiterated the defense’s version that Bolsonaro was in an outbreak.
— When the video of him with sound is leaked, there is a consensus that his voice was altered and slurred. When the medical report comes proving which medications he had taken, Alexandre de Moraes becomes a science denier — said the senator.
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This Sunday, in a custody hearing that maintained his arrest, Bolsonaro said he had taken sertraline and pregabalin, which was subsequently confirmed by his medical team.
