Less than 48 hours after announcing his candidacy for the presidency of the Republic, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) admitted yesterday that he could abandon the political project. After participating in a service in Brasília, a celebration that was considered his first pre-campaign program, Flávio said he could withdraw from the electoral race, but stressed that this had “a price” to negotiate. Without the support of the Centrão and under pressure from his poor results in the polls, the parliamentarian indicated that he would condition the movement on the approval, by Congress, of an amnesty for his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a sentence of 27 years and three months in prison for attempted coup d’état.
- The ex-wife of the leader of the evangelical group says she recorded her husband in the middle of a fight: “In the hands of the competent authorities”
- Investigations: PF actions affect União Brasil leaders in seven states
A Datafolha survey published on Saturday shows that only 8% of respondents think that Flávio is the best name to be supported by their father. He lost to former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, the most viable option for voters, with 22%, and to Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos-SP), with 20%. Other survey data shows that 50% of respondents said they would not vote for a candidate nominated by the former president. 26% would definitely vote and 21% said they might vote.
/i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_da025474c0c44edd99332dddb09cabe8/internal_photos/bs/2025/L/m/2IB3A2QfKgpbudce6TQg/pol-08-12-apoio-jair-presidencia.png)
“Look, there’s a chance I won’t go through with it. I have a price for that. I will negotiate, — said the senator.
Since Friday, Bolsonaro supporters have already broadcast on social networks that the release of Flávio could be part of a “strategy” aimed at freeing Bolsonaro from prison. The idea is that Centrão will show flexibility to support a broader pardon proposal in exchange for a “union of the right” with the candidacy of São Paulo governor Tarcísio de Freitas.
Today, the head of the State Executive is considered the most competitive candidate against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who hopes to be re-elected. The evaluation is the same as that made by the Palácio do Planalto.
After the celebration of the office yesterday, Flávio was direct about his position when questioned by the press and announced on his own networks the hypothesis of withdrawal.
The senator said he would talk more about this topic today, after a meeting with Centrão leaders. Flávio hopes that the amnesty plan will be discussed this week. Expected at the meeting are the party presidents Valdemar Costa Neto (PL), Ciro Nogueira (PP), Antonio Rueda (União Brasil) Marcos Pereira (Republicans), as well as the leader of the PL in the Senate, Rogério Marinho (RN).
— I hope that the presidents of the House (Hugo Motta, from the Republican Party-PB) and the Senate (Davi Alcolumbre, from União Brasil-AP) will achieve what they promised us when they were still candidates, that they would lead the amnesty — said the son of the former president.
In Congress, there are difficulties in voting even on the most restricted project related to the theme, dosimetry, reported deputy Paulinho da Força (Solidariedade-SP). The text reduces the punishment for certain crimes, in the Penal Code, committed by those convicted of the coup attempt.
Yesterday, Centrão members avoided saying whether the negotiations would produce results. The president of one of the group’s acronyms, however, believes that this unexpected gesture is a sign that Flávio is not acting like a real political leader.
For government supporters, this position is considered a “disgrace”. PT leader Lindbergh Farias (PT-RJ) called Flávio’s candidacy a “joke.”
“The term he used, ‘I have a price,’ reveals the family method: blackmail,” the PT member wrote on social media.
Flávio intends to visit his father in prison again tomorrow, when the senator will have to inform him of the results of the conversations:
— Now is the time to put the right people on our side. In this first moment, let’s talk, without committing at all, so that we can all exchange.
The day before yesterday, federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP) recorded a video and described his brother’s candidacy as a “checkmate” against those who support other right-wing names and “a big message” to potential candidates “from the system” — in reference to the preference for Tarcísio.
Centrão’s favorite name, the governor was praised yesterday by Flávio, who called Tarcísio “the main guy on the team”:
— The first person I wanted to talk to (about the pre-application) was Tarcísio. And his reaction was the same as the one I would have had if the opposite had been the case, if Tarcísio had been appointed by President Bolsonaro to run in the elections: it was very good.
The senator reiterated that the decision to run for office was made after conversations with the former president and that his father had been thinking about it “for a long time.” According to Flávio, the announcement was made after a family reunion last week.
Flávio also says he intends to attract allies to the candidacy. The Centrão parties, however, were unhappy with the senator’s choice and, as GLOBO reported yesterday, are considering adopting neutrality in 2026.
A “reckless” market
Yesterday, the senator also downplayed the market reaction to the announcement of his candidacy. On Friday, the Bovespa, which had gained value in the morning, began to fall and around 3 p.m. recorded a drop of almost 2%. Market pessimism came after the announcement that Bolsonaro chose the senator as his presidential candidate for the 2026 elections. Flávio said he assesses the reaction as “natural”, but that there was a “hasty analysis”.
The senator also said he was “a different Bolsonaro, more centered, who knows politics, knows Brasilia, who will want to bring peace to the country.”
About The Author
