Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro declared Tuesday that his decision to run in the 2026 presidential election was now "irreversible," confirming his intention to challenge incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This announcement reaffirms his commitment after he suggested over the weekend that he might withdraw from the race.
Flavio Bolsonaro spoke to the press outside a federal police building in Brasilia, where he had just visited his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro. Jair is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after his defeat to Lula in the 2022 election. According to the senator, his father explicitly offered him his support, strengthening the resolve of the political heir to Bolsonarism.
“I told him that this candidacy was irrevocable,” Flavio Bolsonaro stated. “And in his own words, ‘we will not back down.’ Now is the time to engage in dialogue with people in order to surround ourselves with the right people.” These remarks indicate that the senator intends to build a solid right-wing coalition, supported by his father’s aura and activist base.
The announcement of his candidacy caused a stir in the financial markets, which had anticipated the emergence of a more experienced right-wing candidate perceived as more market-friendly, such as the governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas. Flavio Bolsonaro's choice could thus redefine the political balance within the conservative camp as the race for 2026 intensifies.
