Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of jailed former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, said his father has chosen him to lead his far-right Liberal Party and run for president in next year’s election.
“It is with great responsibility that I confirm the decision of Jair Messias Bolsonaro, Brazil’s greatest political and moral leader, in which he has entrusted me with the mission of continuing our national project,” the young Bolsonaro wrote on Friday.
His father was sentenced to 27 years in prison in September for planning a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election to current leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Shakeup for Brazil’s 2026 general elections
Flavio Bolsonaro was elected to the Brazilian Senate for an eight-year term in 2018 after previously serving as a state lawmaker in Rio de Janeiro.
He is considered an extremist on law-and-order issues, having even requested US air strikes on boats in Rio de Janeiro to combat drug trafficking.
In his social media announcement, which also included a photo of him kissing his father on the head, Bolsonaro said he would “not stand idle while families lose hope and democracy collapses.”
Bolsonaro has previously been accused of embezzling public funds linked to his family’s political offices. Prosecutors filed charges, but courts dismissed the case.
He has maintained his innocence throughout.
His announcement on Friday makes him an immediate contender to challenge Lula in next year’s elections.
“Flavio told me about our captain [Jair Bolsonaro] Confirmed his pre-candidacy. If Bolsonaro said so, that’s it!” said Liberal Party president Valdemar Costa Neto.
Edited by: Zack Crellin