Senator Flavio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) said, on Friday (5/12), that he sees no problem with the Centrao sectors resisting his name in the 2026 presidential race. He was confirmed by his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), as the person chosen to run for Palácio do Planalto by the Liberal Party (PL).
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“I speak well with all of them (from Centrao). Everyone knows how difficult the 2026 elections will be. President Bolsonaro himself announced that my name has been put there,” he said shortly after landing at Brasilia airport.
The senator’s speech comes after expressions of distrust from Centrão leaders, including Antonio Rueda, president of União Brasil and co-president of the União Progressista union. Although he avoided a direct confrontation with Jair Bolsonaro or the senator, Rueda issued a statement on Friday, after confirming Flavio’s selection, in which he stated that the union would move in a different direction from political polarization.
According to him, “recent events” only confirm the need for a political path that favors construction and dialogue, not conflict. He added: “In 2026, it will not be polarization that will build the future, but the ability to unite forces around a serious and responsible project focused on the real interests of the Brazilian people.”
Rueda stressed that the union, led by him and Ciro Nogueira, will maintain a practical agenda focused on territorial demands and consolidating state seats. According to the memorandum, the group intends to strengthen itself as an alternative to the polarization scenario, and seek “construction” and “mature dialogue between different points of view.”
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Flavio tried to minimize negative reactions when commenting on political expressions. He states that he will seek to expand alliances beyond Bolsonari’s core, and says that he spoke, only on Friday, with party leaders, such as Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI), Antonio Rueda himself (Uniao), and the head of the Social Democratic Party, Gilberto Casab. The Senator also reported on his meeting with the Governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas (Republican), a strong ally in building the primary campaign.
When he defended his pre-candidacy, the parliamentarian stated that he intends to present a government plan that “gives Brazil peace of mind” and directly criticized the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT).
“Now it’s up to me to bring the right people to my side, a lot of trust and a lot of faith in God to show the whole of Brazil that Brazil has a way,” he said. “Yes, we can no longer tolerate this much corruption, we can no longer tolerate this many criminals running in the streets, and millions of Brazilians still live under the dictatorship of a parallel government of organized crime, with militias, drug traffickers and terrorists.”
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In a message published on Friday (12/5), on social media, Flavio said that he received his father’s nomination “with great responsibility”, describing his father as “Brazil’s greatest political and moral leader” and promising to continue the project undertaken by the former president.
Within the Liberal Party, the assessment is that Flavio will be able to consolidate Bolsonaro’s influence, especially through trips around the country and the reactivation of regional joints. The senator also has the support of governors allied with Bolsonarianism, such as Tarcisio de Freitas, in São Paulo, and Claudio Castro (PL), in Rio de Janeiro.