Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Flavio Bolsonaro Tests Father’s Legacy in Brazil Presidential Race
Flavio Bolsonaro is trying to become Brazil’s president.
He is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is in prison after being convicted over a failed coup plot.
Jair Bolsonaro gave his son permission and support to run.
Flavio is competing against leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Some voters support Flavio because they still support his father’s conservative movement.
His campaign was hurt when reports linked money from a disgraced banker to a planned film about Jair Bolsonaro.
Flavio says the film funding was legal, while investigators opened a corruption-related probe.
He also wants to help his father and brother with their legal problems if he wins.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro is running as the main right-wing candidate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
His father, Jair Bolsonaro, endorsed him while serving a 27-year sentence for a failed coup plot, according to Reuters.
Flavio’s campaign initially faced skepticism but gained support from Brazil’s conservative movement and business community.
A funding scandal involving a planned film about Jair Bolsonaro triggered an investigation and a temporary polling decline.
If elected, Flavio Bolsonaro says he would seek to reverse legal actions against his father and brother Eduardo.
- Who
- Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, former President Jair Bolsonaro, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and other presidential candidates.
- What
- Flavio Bolsonaro is campaigning for Brazil’s presidency while seeking to continue his father’s political movement.
- When
- The report is dated September 28 and describes an election scheduled for October 4, with a possible second round on October 25.
- Where
- Brazil, including São Paulo and the Planalto Palace in Brasília.
- Why
- Flavio says he wants to defend his father’s legacy and reverse legal actions against his family; his campaign also reflects a broader conservative movement in Brazil and Latin America.
Supporters and Defenders
Critics and Opponents
Political succession
Supporters and Defenders
Liberal Party leader Valdemar Costa Neto said “it had to be a Bolsonaro,” and supporters view Flavio as the candidate able to carry forward Jair Bolsonaro’s movement.
Critics and Opponents
Some conservative figures initially doubted Flavio’s candidacy, while analysts argued that the far-right movement extends beyond the Bolsonaro family.
Film financing
Supporters and Defenders
Flavio Bolsonaro said the banker’s support for the Jair Bolsonaro film was a private sponsorship with no strings attached and called the investigation a political hit job.
Critics and Opponents
The funding revelation caused backlash, and Federal Police opened an investigation into alleged corruption, money laundering, and illicit capital flight.
Relationship with Donald Trump
Supporters and Defenders
Flavio and his brother Eduardo sought to renew the political alliance between the Bolsonaro family and Donald Trump, who called Flavio a smart young man who loves Brazil.
Critics and Opponents
Critics, including former U.S. ambassador Thomas Shannon, said Trump’s association did not help Flavio; President Lula called Flavio and Eduardo traitors after Washington imposed steep tariffs on Brazilian imports.
- Candidate
- Flavio Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old senator and member of Brazil’s Liberal Party
- Main rival
- President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
- Jair Bolsonaro’s sentence
- A 27-year prison sentence for a failed coup plot, according to the report
- Election date
- October 4, with a runoff on October 25 if necessary
- Campaign platform
- Tax cuts and an aggressive fiscal adjustment to reduce long-term borrowing costs
- Film funding controversy
- A reported $12 million in transfers linked to a fund connected to banker Daniel Vorcaro
- Investigation
- Brazil’s Federal Police opened a July investigation into alleged corruption, money laundering, and illicit capital flight connected to the film project