Khaberni - Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, has officially announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential elections.
Bolsonaro confirmed that he has been tasked with leading the Brazilian right's political project by his father. The announcement was made via a message he posted on his social media accounts, stating: "With great responsibility, I confirm the decision of the greatest political and moral leader in Brazil, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, to entrust me with the mission of moving forward with our national project."
Flavio added in a post accompanied by a photo with his father inside the Federal Police headquarters in Brasília: "I cannot and do not want to see our country live through a period of instability, insecurity, and disappointment. I will not stand idly by while the hopes of families fade and our democracy is at risk." Former President Bolsonaro is serving a sentence of 27 years and three months after being convicted of participation in an attempted coup at the end of 2022.
This is the first direct statement from Jair Bolsonaro indicating his "political heir," an announcement that has ended months of speculation within the right-wing Liberal Party. The newspaper "Metropolis" had reported expectations about Flavio's candidacy after he visited his father in prison last week.
Flavio Bolsonaro, born in 1981, has had a long political career, having been elected to the Senate in 2018 after four consecutive terms in the Rio de Janeiro state parliament. In 2016, he ran for Mayor of Rio but was eliminated in the first round. Brazilian media often describes him as the most moderate among Bolsonaro's politically active sons, including Carlos, a city council member in Rio, and Eduardo, a state parliament member in Sao Paulo.
According to sources within the Liberal Party, Flavio will soon start a nationwide tour to promote his candidacy and enter into an anticipated electoral battle with the current President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The party president, Waldemar Costa Neto, confirmed to "O Globo" magazine the validity of the senator's candidacy, saying: “It's decided. Flavio told me that our leader has endorsed his candidacy. Bolsonaro has announced his decision, and we are united."
