The governor (Republicans) said this Tuesday (27) that he would refuse a request from the former president (PL) to run for President if an invitation was made during next Thursday (29).
“That [o pedido] it won’t happen. But I would say no”, said Tarcísio during an interview with Jovem Pan radio in Sorocaba this morning — the governor had a scheduled visit to the Toyota factory in the city this afternoon.
The governor said that he had already discussed the matter with the former president on the last occasion they were together. The conversation took place during a visit, in September, to Bolsonaro’s home, who at the time was under house arrest. Bolsonaro is now in prison, serving a prison sentence for leading the coup plot that culminated in the .
The meeting between Tarcísio and Bolsonaro was scheduled to take place on the 22nd, but it was after the senator (PL-RJ), nominated by the former president to run for President, told the press that the visit would allow Tarcísio to hear that his presidential candidacy was “ruled out”.
Tarcísio was uncomfortable with what he said and preferred not to go to the meeting, according to his assistants, rescheduling the visit for the following week.
During the interview, Tarcísio stated that, after the last visit to Bolsonaro, on September 29, they both talked about elections and that the governor had said that he would not like to seek the Presidency.
“It’s very peaceful [Não concorrer à Presidência] for me”, said Tarcísio. “In the last visit I made to Bolsonaro, and he was under house arrest, before he came to the closed regime, he asked me: ‘So, Tarcísio, presidential election: what is your position?’ I say, ‘My position is to stay at .’ I was very blunt, very clear with him about this, because I also needed to maintain a line of coherence.”
The governor said he hopes to have a “friendly chat” with the former president at this Thursday’s meeting. “On the visit I’m going to make, my chat will be a friendly chat. I’ll talk about amenities, I’ll see if he needs anything, I’ll talk about the solidarity I have, the affection I have for him and what we’re doing out here to try to help him.”
Tarcísio also said that he does not intend to talk about politics at the meeting.
“Everyone thinks: ‘Oh, are you going to talk about the election?’ No, I don’t usually talk about elections, I don’t usually talk about politics with him. I always try to show: ‘Look, I’m here by your side, my hand is extended, right? You were a guy who opened an important door for me, you will always have my consideration. And then it’s a question of friendship, it’s a question of values and that’s what I’ve always defended”, he said.
The governor has already said that the next candidate for President would be Bolsonaro (who is ineligible) “or whoever he nominates”, which was being interpreted by a series of allies as an opening for Tarcísio himself to put himself in the race.
Since demands from Bolsonaro supporters close to Flávio have grown for Tarcísio to support the senator’s presidential candidacy, the governor has emphasized that he never said, publicly, that he intended to run for office.
