Overview
- Flavio Bolsonaro, a 44-year-old senator, announced on X that his father designated him to carry forward the family’s political project.
- PL president Valdemar Costa Neto confirmed that Flavio is the party’s chosen name for the 2026 presidential election.
- The move sets up a likely contest with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has indicated he intends to run for re-election.
- Jair Bolsonaro was convicted in September for attempting a coup and has been held in Federal Police facilities in Brasilia since November 22 after trying to burn his electronic monitor, with his lawyers seeking a return to house arrest for health reasons.
- The designation ends uncertainty in the conservative camp after speculation about alternatives such as São Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro.