The senator (-RJ) states that only the defeat of the president (PT) in 2026 will save his father from prison and that he will not give up his candidacy for the Presidency in favor of the governor of , (Republicans).
“I don’t think there’s a scenario where I’m a candidate and he [Tarcísio] to be. It would be very ignorant, and ignorant is everything that Tarcísio is not”, he tells Sheet.
One day after saying that (PL) was free and at the polls, Flávio stated that he will no longer be “talking stories” about the approval of the amnesty, that his candidacy is irreversible and that, if he doesn’t have the right, he will go to the elections with the PL “and the people”.
He also adds that he has an advantage over the other pre-candidates, but says that it is the “moderate” version that many asked for. “He didn’t want to take the vaccine [contra a Covid]; I took two doses.”
Mr. cast doubt on his candidacy, which would be Bolsonaro at the polls. Is it irreversible or does it have a price? It’s irreversible. My candidacy is not for sale. The condition for this is President Bolsonaro free and at the polls. The only possibility for Flávio Bolsonaro not to be a candidate is that the candidate is Jair Messias Bolsonaro. I have no price.
The reaction of the political class. Those who are in line to bet that it would be a trial balloon are those who, in fact, were not expecting a decision from Bolsonaro. They were waiting for the decision to be one. As was the case elsewhere, now they try to find an excuse not to follow the instructions. But it’s no problem, my name is in place, there’s no turning back, it’s not a trial balloon, it’s irreversible and there will be Bolsonaro on the ballot in 26.
The . and why now? He said: “There has to be some kind of alignment, centralization, at least in speech, in decisions. I think it has to be now because this will put a brake on tidiness.” For obvious reasons, the first person I went to talk to was Governor Tarcísio, who was the person who was expected to be announced as having the support of President Bolsonaro. It was a wonderful, frank, eye-to-eye conversation. He understood and said I would have his full support.
If the, Mr. Are you going alone? I go with the people. Obviously I want more parties with me. At the end of the day, I want to believe that everyone is on the same project against the PT.
My focus will be on building a team of references in different areas. I’m starting with , to continue the project that started and the pandemic didn’t allow, responsible control of public spending. We get a debt/GDP ratio of 75%. After the pandemic, we delivered with 71%, and now we see the Lula government reaching almost 86% [no padrão do FMI]. The first conversation was to define a ceiling for this debt/GDP ratio for Brazil to organize itself.
Mr. Did you talk to Paulo Guedes? I talk to Guedes from time to time. He’s a genius. I’m going to start putting down on paper very early what our platform for rescuing Brazil will be.
He is available to help you? To help yes. I’m not talking about the name of a minister, to draw up a government plan, nothing like that. He is an important advisor.
Mr. wants to give a message to the market, I don’t want to give a message, I want to show who I am. I have the same principles, I have Bolsonaro blood, but no human being is the same. At various times, he had one understanding, I had another. He [contra a Covid]; I took two doses. Just to give you a small example that you will see a centered, balanced Bolsonaro who has some opinions of his own.
Does the right-wing candidate need to have Bolsonaro blood? It’s the people who have to speak. Any candidate named Bolsonaro, which is my case, already starts from a very high floor. The parties that do not want to walk with us will have to weigh whether it is worth burning a stronger cadre to go to a very polarized election, when this cadre could run for another role, being a candidate for government, for senator.
Are you talking about Tarcísio? They will have to do this calculation. Ratinho, Zema, Caiado. Lula and Bolsonaro are at the table. Is it worth risking an important situation to go to such a polarized election? Each person will make their own assessment, which does not have to be done now. There is a lot of time until the election.
Mr. said that Tarcísio was the expected candidate. What do you do? He has the support of the market and the parties and has already committed to giving Bolsonaro a pardon. Why not him? I also meet all the requirements, with the advantage that I have the surname Bolsonaro. I’m not going to fight over who deserves more or less. It is a decision that President Bolsonaro makes to choose who will be responsible for continuing his legacy. I am a candidate until the end to honor my father and to continue his legacy.
Are there any circumstances in which Tarcísio could be the candidate? You have to ask him. He always said he would be with me. I trust him, he’s a good guy, he’s always been transparent and loyal. I don’t think there’s a scenario where I’m a candidate and he is. It would be very ignorant, and ignorant is everything that Tarcísio is not. He’s a guy that I have no doubt about: we’ll be together. I’m going to stand on his platform for governor of São Paulo, he’s going to help me run for President. We will start from São Paulo with a 10% advantage over the PT.
Is the president of the PL, , convinced of his candidacy? The PL will have more than 20% of television, it will have a party background, it will have the people, it will have fierce militancy. I don’t need anything else.
president of , follows. I’m his friend. I’m sure he’s based on old research. The candidacy that is most viable is mine.
If the , but keeps him ineligible, does that satisfy him? Is it a reasonable price? I played with words to talk about price, but the condition is: Bolsonaro has to be free and at the polls. It is a humiliation for Parliament not to decide on a project and let the plenary vote to resolve it because the rapporteur [deputado federal Paulinho da Força] is protected. It’s a mess. I’m not advocating an institutional war, I’m doing a scenario analysis. The only possible way to resolve this is through politics.
If Congress approves amnesty but maintains ineligibility, Mr. Do you go back on your candidacy? That’s not on the table. With this project that they want to introduce in Congress, Bolsonaro will spend another two years in prison. In another two years, there will already be a new president and Congress, I no longer need this project. I’m not going to keep telling stories, using Vaseline back and forth, as if I had the possibility of creating some kind of composition. Things won’t be resolved until the next elections.
So does it matter if Congress votes for amnesty or not? If you vote for total amnesty, which puts Bolsonaro and hundreds of others free, and Bolsonaro on the ballot, I am not a candidate. It’s my dream, actually. My candidacy is ready unless Bolsonaro says: “It’s not going to be you, it’s going to be João.” That’s his decision. I don’t think either way will happen, unfortunately.
Isn’t this a kind of blackmail? We have the right to define the name that will symbolize the continuity of this movement that Bolsonaro inaugurated. He has the right to choose and it is the right of other parties to put forward other names. Am I forced to go with the other parties, because they think the research says A, B or C is better? No.
What is more important to you, getting your father out of prison or not re-electing Lula? I think that not re-electing Lula is what will save Brazil and will save my father from prison.
Mr. He said he is a peacemaker and different from his father. Is Bolsonaro’s style not ideal? It’s my way, I’m not doing theater. Everyone who tried to be like Bolsonaro failed. Bolsonaro is unparalleled. He is my reference. But if I try to be like him, I won’t be me.
Is there any harm in being like him? The voter is the one who will speak. Many people asked: “Bolsonaro, you have to be more moderate.” Wow, it’s me. Bolsonaro more moderate.
Was there a diagnosis that? There was a diagnosis from me that the militancy had its head down. The release of my name rescues this hope. I have a surname that I don’t need to explain what I think, people already know. You buy a Bolsonaro and when you open the box there are no surprises.
Aren’t you afraid that investigations such as cracks and cash to buy properties will be revived? These things are all archived. I have never had a criminal case initiated against me because of this. It’s a hell of a foam.
What will be Mr. for security? Good experiences I saw in El Salvador, in which people who commit serious or repeated crimes, such as cell phone theft on the street, are actually arrested. I will not have tolerance. You can criticize me all you want, but the population will have a radical security platform. The dangerous criminal will face imprisonment and, if he confronts the police, he will be neutralized.
X-RAY | Flávio Bolsonaro, 44
He is a senator, lawyer and businessman. State deputy from 2003 to 2018, he ran for mayor of Rio in 2016, finishing fourth. He is the firstborn of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
