The senator (-RJ), pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, stated that the former deputy (PL-SP), his brother, wants to be a candidate for the Senate, but says he sees difficulty in this hypothesis, given that he is outside the country.
At the end of last year, Eduardo’s mandate was revoked by the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Deputies for having exceeded the number of permitted absences. He moved to the USA in March 2025 to lead a campaign with American authorities against the trial of his father, (PL). The former president is in prison after being convicted of an attempted coup d’état.
“Eduardo is eligible, despite being out. Eduardo is first in the poll [para o Senado] in . So, there’s no point in trying to treat him as if he were a card out of the deck. He has his weight, he will want to lend his image to the Senate candidates on our ticket”, Flávio told journalists, this Tuesday (24).
Asked about the possibility of Eduardo running for the Senate, as was planned before his move to the United States, Flávio stated that it would be difficult to justify this to voters.
“Eduardo would have the theoretical chance of being a candidate. Does he want it? Obviously he wants it. […] I explained to him that I see difficulties due to this. If he loses his mandate due to absence, how is he going to explain to the voter that he will be elected, he will be absent and he will lose his mandate too?”, said Flávio.
In São Paulo, the Bolsonaro ticket will be made up of the governor (Republicans), candidate for re-election, and, in relation to the Senate, one candidate will be deputy Guilherme Derrite (PP) and the other name, to be chosen by the PL, is open.
The party carries out a survey with around ten names listed to assess the viability of each one. At a PL summit meeting this Tuesday, Eduardo, Renato Bolsonaro, Mario Frias, Coronel Mello Araújo and Marco Feliciano were mentioned as possible candidates for the Senate.
In the same way that he said that Eduardo will have weight in the choice, Flávio also stated that the name will be defined in line with Tarcísio and former president Bolsonaro.
“Eduardo also wants to make a decision that aligns with Governor Tarcísio, probably through President Bolsonaro,” said Flávio.
Still talking about his brother, Flávio minimized the clashes led by Eduardo within Bolsonarism in recent days. The former deputy demanded that the former first lady (PL) and the deputy (PL-MG) dedicate themselves to Flávio’s pre-campaign.
As shown by SheetFlávio was with his brother in the USA last weekend and, upon returning to Brazil on Monday (23), he tried to put an end to the conflict, stating on social media that he will need everyone’s help and unity.
“The conversation I had with him there in the United States was that of a very mature, conscious person, who no longer wants to discuss who is right and who is wrong. He wants to collaborate in the best possible way for this national project to succeed. […] Understanding that this is not the time to stimulate or try to win the discussion, […] because we have a bigger issue. He committed to me to be on this line now fully.”
Flávio also said that his brother suffers cowardly persecution and that, more than anyone, he knows the importance of winning the election. “I think this explains a little his anxiety about wanting people to engage body and soul at once in our pre-campaign”, he added.
Regarding Michelle, who has resisted embarking on Flávio’s pre-campaign, the senator said he would talk to her stepmother and that he has nothing but praise for her.
“It’s another one that will always be there, in line with what our professor Jair Messias Bolsonaro says. For my part, I’m talking to everyone. […] I don’t want to know who’s right and who’s not. I’m not here to charge anyone. […] Each in their own time,” he said.
“I think we all have one thing in common, which will unite us: the certainty that we need to defeat the PT. […] Each one has its own importance in its area, in its segment, I won’t give up on anyone”, he added.
Still aiming to smooth out rough edges within his political field, Flávio should meet with Tarcísio on Friday (27) in São Paulo. The governor was passed over by Bolsonaro to run for Planalto and also had disagreements with the senator.
According to Flávio, they will have breakfast together and will then participate in an event at the Legislative Assembly in honor of the PL president, Valdemar Costa Neto. The event is organized by the president of the House, André do Prado (PL), who is trying to become Tarcísio’s vice president.
The senator also said that he will discuss with Tarcísio the vacancies in the Senate and the name of the vice-president on the ticket.
Flávio stated that the meeting will be full of “transparency and loyalty”. “Now, with things adjusting, I believe we can make another public gesture to everyone that Tarcísio will be with us fully.”
