When Carlos Bolsonaro was 17, he received a thankless task from his father: defeat his mother, then councilor Rogeria Bolsonaro, in the Rio de Janeiro city council elections.
Jair Bolsonaro’s first wife, Rogeria, was elected chancellor in 1992. Her husband took up her candidacy, on the understanding that she should consult him and follow his directions.
In 1996 came his re-election, and soon after Guyer was divorced. Realizing that Rogeria was no longer following his orders, he sabotaged his campaign in 2000, firing his son for stealing votes from his mother.
Carlos needed to free himself from the conflict. In the end, he was elected with 16,000 votes, 11,000 more than Rogeria, who was excluded from the council.
Twenty-five years later, Jair is once again faced with an independence movement by his third wife, Michele.
Despite the directives of Hizb ut-Tahrir and the endorsement of the former president himself, according to his supporters, she publicly rejected the alliance formed in Ceará between federal MP André Fernández and Ciro Gomez.
Jair’s three eldest sons, Flavio, Carlos and Eduardo, attacked together and criticized Michele’s tyranny. She didn’t back down.
After visiting his father in prison, it was Flavio who apologized. After that, the League announced the suspension of talks with Gomez’s manager. Members of Gayer’s party believe the former first lady has gained traction on the networks.
Michelle is not Rogeria. She became one of the key members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, promoted women’s membership and gained the appreciation of party president Waldemar Costa Neto. It goes very well with conservative female audiences and evangelicals and has minimal disapproval among the family.
Yair is no longer Yair. Previously, a dedicated vicar, a member of the lower clergy, was free to clip his ex-wife’s wings. Now, beleaguered, isolated and vulnerable, he does not seem to have anything to gain – personally or politically – from breaking up with Michel.