The governor of , (Republicans), said he received “with sadness” the definitive conviction of () in the (Supreme Federal Court). He stated that the former president is innocent, that he will participate in the campaign for amnesty and defended that the sentence be served under house arrest for humanitarian reasons.
“I always receive it with great sadness, because I have great confidence in the president’s innocence. I worked with the president, I knew the president, I know his good intention, his good purpose. A person who always tried to do his best,” he said.
The statement was made during an event with a pre-campaign atmosphere at Palácio dos Bandeirantes, where Tarcísio received mayors from around 200 cities to mark the delivery of cars for municipal social funds.
“I think that everything that is happening is unfair and I trust that time will clarify the whole truth. I trust in the president’s innocence, I trust that one day this will be clarified and that we will see the president released again”, said the governor.
Tarcísio once again denied being a pre-candidate for President. “I’m not thinking about the electoral scenario. The election is very far away. Now, I’ve always said that I’m a candidate for re-election. I’m interested in staying in São Paulo. […] I’m very focused here on my work in São Paulo, on my São Paulo project, on long-term projects. I’m committed to it here.”
Despite the denial, allies of Tarcísio himself and Bolsonaro have been discussing the 2026 succession since before the conviction. Center-right leaders privately state that the São Paulo governor is the natural plan B for Bolsonaro, although Bolsonaro supporters point to senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), the ex-president’s eldest son, as an option.
“Let’s not forget that the great leadership of the right is Bolsonaro and who will decide the candidacy of the right is Bolsonaro,” said Tarcísio. “He continues to be the leader of this movement that he created, which he has political capital and will define.”
Asked if he would accept being the name indicated by Bolsonaro, he denied: “I’m not in this cake. I’m focused on São Paulo.”
Tarcísio was also questioned about Bolsonaro’s mental health after the attempt to violate the electronic ankle bracelet with a soldering iron. He avoided addressing the issue and directed criticism at judicial monitoring.
“Let’s stop and think: he was already stuck at home. […] Why is it necessary to have an ankle bracelet? […] It’s a person who ends up having these fluctuations in consciousness. It was a moment of oscillation.”
The STF stated that the equipment was necessary because, even under house arrest, Bolsonaro presented a concrete risk of escape.
Tarcísio declared that he will do “everything he can” to approve an amnesty for the former president in Congress. The federal government has taken a contrary position: the Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, has already stated that “there is no legal basis for amnesty” in cases of attack on democratic institutions, and parliamentarians from President Lula’s base see the proposal as unfeasible.
“Bolsonaro is a great friend I have and in times of difficulty friends have to be together,” said Tarcísio.
Before the event, the governor spent around 50 minutes taking photos with the public, in a melee that included holding children on his lap and promising to meet demands made on the spot by the politicians present.
During his speech, Tarcísio did not mention the final decision of the former president’s case — he said he was only informed later — and presented figures from his administration, such as housing deliveries, surgeries and investments.
At the end, he posed on stage with representatives of the city councils in question, holding a giant paper key. In recent events, this format has been repeated: mayors summoned to the Palácio dos Bandeirantes auditorium, citations of parliamentary amendments and an audience full of allies, always in an atmosphere of early electoral mobilization.
This Tuesday, while Tarcísio posed with the keys, a presenter announced the names of the state deputies who contributed amendments to the purchases.
