The visit of the governor of , (Republicans), to the former president (PL), imprisoned in Papudinha, served to bring the president closer to the clan, according to allies of both politicians. The governor also conveyed the former president’s assessment that other right-wing pre-candidates, such as (), could join (PL) in the second round.
Last week, he came under pressure to demonstrate support for the candidacy of the senator, chosen by his father to run for Planalto. In reaction, the governor, which was scheduled for the 22nd.
This Thursday (29), in , he left Papudinha accompanied by the former councilor (PL), with whom he also met the day before and exchanged compliments online. On the other hand, the governor did not mention Flávio’s name throughout the press interview.
As expected by members of Bolsonarism, the result was Tarcísio’s declaration to Bolsonaro that he will run for re-election in São Paulo and that he will support Flávio, after the suspicion that the governor had not accepted having been passed over and was still aiming for the group’s presidential candidate position.
“We’ve been talking about this since 2023. My interest is to stay in São Paulo. Guys, there’s no controversy at all,” Tarcísio told journalists after the visit. Asked if it is, the governor replied: “There is no doubt, this matter is not under discussion, it is already consolidated.”
The conversation between Bolsonaro and Tarcísio was the first since former president Flávio to contest the elections against (PT). This had happened in September, when Bolsonaro was still under house arrest.
Tarcísio said that he will have the same role in the campaign as in 2022. He declared that he intends to “get elected in São Paulo and help our presidential candidate”, without mentioning the senator. When asked about supporting Flávio, he simply stated: “Without a doubt.”
He stated that he is part of the former president’s team, which is serving a sentence for an attempted coup d’état in the Military Police Battalion, next to the Papuda Penitentiary Complex.
“O, I have an important role within the team, which is to really take care of the state, which is the largest electoral college in Brazil”, said Tarcísio.
“We will be committed to this project. We will come in very strong, very united, adding more people”, he added.
The governor said that he and Bolsonaro talked about the idea and the possibility of the Goiás native being the party’s presidential candidate. According to Tarcísio, he praised Caiado and said that everyone will be together at the end, signaling the second round.
“He has appreciation for Caiado, consideration for the work that Caiado has done throughout his political career. [ex-]The president understands that it is a candidacy that also adds to this project, and in the end everyone will be together against the PT, have no doubt about that. He sees it with hope too, he saw a successful movement and was satisfied”, he said.
According to Tarcísio, Bolsonaro said that having more than one right-wing candidacy is not a problem. “He thinks it adds up in the end, you create a big force.”
Although without definitions, the electoral issue also involved the dispute for the Senate and Tarcísio’s vice position, according to reports about the visit. The governor stated that he likes his current vice president, Felício Ramuth (PSD), his favorite for the ticket, and Bolsonaro said he has no opposition to him.
Regarding the Senate, the candidacy of Guilherme Derrite (PP) was mentioned, whose deputy will be Vicente Santini, head of the São Paulo government office in Brasília and close to the former president’s children. Santini accompanied Tarcísio on the visit. The second candidacy for the Senate.
Tarcísio also spoke about Bolsonaro’s health and said he was worried, because there are still constant hiccups, and the medicine to contain them can cause dizziness. He defended house arrest for the former president and said he “will work on it” as much as he can.
In recent weeks, together with ministers from the STF (Supreme Federal Court), Flávio’s supporters raised alarms that the governor still had national aspirations, which led the former president’s son to publicly pressure him.
The governor also reinforced his friendship with Bolsonaro and said that the purpose of the visit was to convey to him the affection of many people who miss him. They recalled, together, Bolsonaro’s period as President and the deliveries he made for the country.
The governor arrived in Papudinha around 10:50 am, in a convoy, and left shortly after 1 pm. He was accompanied by Vicente Santini, head of the São Paulo Government office in Brasília and an ally of the Bolsonaro family. The designated time for the visit was from 11am to 1pm.
The meeting was authorized by the STF minister at the request of the former president. Bolsonaro has been in prison since November 22nd. He was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison by the Supreme Court for attempting a coup d’état.
