In a speech at Cpac, the biggest conservative event in the world, the senator and pre-candidate for President of the Republic () stated that President Luiz Inácio da Silva (PT) is an antagonist of the Americans and linked the PT member to the Venezuelan dictator, who was captured by the USA at the beginning of the year and is imprisoned in New York.
“Lula and his party are openly anti-American. He speaks publicly about undermining the dollar as a global currency. He has aligned Brazil with China on a massive scale. He has opposed American interests on every foreign policy item — publicly criticizing President Trump’s actions in Iran, Cuba, and the fight against drug trafficking,” he said.
Over the course of 15 minutes, the presidential candidate spoke in English, reading the teleprompter, and showed photos of him next to Trump comparing the politicians’ trajectories and mentioning that both had suffered assassination attempts. “Now he is in prison, just as he would have been if you had not fought successfully to save him,” said Flávio.
And he criticized the president of Brazil by showing on the screens a photo of Lula hugging Maduro — the image refers to a meeting in May 2023 in Brasília during a conference with South American leaders.
During the speech, the presidential candidate recalled Lula’s arrest, said that he was convicted of corruption and was “put” back in the Presidency, making accusations that money from USAID (aid agency) was used for this.
He also cited alleged massive interference by the Biden administration in the 2022 elections. “We do not want interference in the Brazilian elections like the Biden administration did to bring Lula to power. As I said: I will win because it is the will of my people,” he said.
During the Democrat’s administration and in the midst of Brazil’s elections, American officials expressed concern about Bolsonaro’s claims that he might not accept the result due to false allegations of electoral fraud.
The senator stated that if “the people can express themselves freely on social media and if the votes are counted correctly, we will win”, opposing big tech regulations.
During the event, his brother and former deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro also expressed concern about the possibility of changes through the Big Tech PL affecting the elections. “65% of our right-wing voters get their information through social media. So, if we are censored, it will certainly be a very difficult blow during the election,” he said.
Flávio used the event to try to show his closeness to the American public, using nicknames imposed by Trump on Biden, such as “Joe Autopen Biden” —the American president accuses his predecessor of using an automatic pen to sign official documents—, and addressing issues of interest to the US, such as critical minerals and the need to “break dependence on China”.
“This is the crossroads that America faces: either you have the most powerful ally in the hemisphere, or an antagonist who aligns himself with American adversaries and makes any American policy for the region impossible,” said Flávio, who appears tied with Lula in
He even cited the betting markets, which started to show him as the favorite to win the elections. According to Polymarket, this Sunday (28), Flávio appears with a 43% chance of winning the elections and Lula with 42%.
The presidential candidate promises that, if elected, he will deliver “a vanguard conservative project that unites old and new generations”, but that “will bring prosperity to the Brazilian nation and end the cycle of backwardness, misery and that the left is leaving as a cursed legacy”.
Despite Lula’s constant criticism of Trump’s administration, since the creation of the Peace Council and the war in Iran, the Republican has not spoken out against the PT member. In his last speeches about Brazil, he said that he “really liked” Lula and that he “maintained a good relationship” with the president. A meeting between the two at the White House was expected for March or April, but there is no set date.
Flávio took the opportunity to poke at the Trump administration, which eased sanctions imposed on Brazil in the past, and the closeness between the presidents.
“I understand that President Trump is incredibly busy making America great again and must maintain institutional relationships with leaders of all countries, regardless of their personal preferences,” he said. “And I know that sometimes, when surrounded by advisors with their own interests, the picture becomes confusing. But I am confident that the greatest negotiator in history can easily see who Brazil’s true allies are.”
Although Trump’s relationship with Lula appeared to improve at the end of last year, there are indications that the relationship could worsen with the imminent classification of the CV (Comando Vermelho) and (Primeiro Comando da Capital) criminal factions as terrorists by the State Department.
In the midst of this, the Brazilian government is working to avoid labeling for fear that this could allow a military attack by the Americans on Brazilian soil.
Flávio defined the PT member’s action as “lobbying to protect criminal organizations”. “He lobbied heavily with certain American advisers to prevent Brazil’s two largest drug cartels from being classified as terrorist organizations,” he said.
“Yes, the president of my country lobbies America to protect terrorist organizations that oppress my people and export weapons, launder money and export drugs to the world.”
He also cited the revocation of the visa of the advisor for relations with Brazil in the United States, Darren Beattie, who was going to the country to, among other events, visit former president Jair Bolsonaro in prison.
At first, the visit was authorized by STF minister Alexandre de Moraes, but was later prohibited. The judge stated that the visit could constitute “undue interference in the internal affairs of the Brazilian State”. He also said the request does not fit with the State Department’s officially communicated objectives related to .
For Flávio, however, this demonstrated that Brazil “is now expelling American diplomats” and classified the position as “something unprecedented in our history.” “All because Beattie asked to visit my father in prison and assess his conditions.”
