Faria Lima dreamed of Tarcísio de Freitas and woke up with Flávio Bolsonaro. The captain frustrated those who expected him to hand his votes to a politician with a different last name. On Friday, Jair informed the place that the candidate was Zero One.
Only those who do not know the former president believed that he would facilitate the task of the consortium that unites the owners of PIB and Centrão. Bolsonaro never paid attention to the parties, agreements or expectations of others. He always acted according to the logic of the clan. In power, he rejected and humiliated the allies who crossed his children’s path. In prison, he clarifies that he only trusts his offspring.
Flávio is not a nightmare for the establishment because of his virtues. Not even because of their absence. What’s frightening is the research that points to a toxic rejection of the captain’s heirs. By crowning his son, Bolsonaro shows that his priority is not to defeat Lula. The plan is to avoid shutting down family voting, even if it means losing the 2026 election.
Mercado and Centrão had other reasons to prefer Tarcísio. The governor of São Paulo is considered a maneuverable politician. I would not create problems or question the agreements made during the campaign. Like his brothers, Flávio owes obedience only to his father. To carry out his orders, he would not hesitate to contradict allies and sponsors.
Zero Um’s CV is remarkable. In 16 years in the Rio Legislative Assembly, he was noted for employing relatives of militiamen and for going to prison to decorate a hitman. In his spare time, he imitated Jair’s preaching in favor of dictatorship and police violence.
In 2018, it became known that former Prime Minister Fabrício Queiroz operated a crack system in Flávio’s office in Alerj. The public prosecutor identified the oranges and denounced Zero Um for criminal organization, embezzlement, concealment of property and money laundering. The case was dismissed after the Supreme Court quashed evidence obtained from Coaf’s financial reports.
A senator for seven years, Zero Um used his mandate as a trench to defend his father. His greatest achievement in Brasilia was the purchase of a mansion for 6 million reais in Lago Sul. Asked about the source of the funds, he said he worked as a lawyer, but refused to disclose the list of alleged clients.
Flávio’s choice represents good news for the government. His candidacy divides the right and reduces the chances of having a solid platform against Lula. With Tarcísio out of the game, the Centrão party machines tend to abandon the Planalto race to concentrate on the legislative elections. With Bolsonaro as an adversary, PTism will be able to save the discourse of the broad front, winner in 2022.
If Zero Um’s candidacy is not a trial balloon to be deflated by March, the clan’s marketers will have their work cut out to give him the image of a presidential candidate. The first challenge is to train him to face a debate without fainting.
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