Bolsonaro Names Son Flávio as Spokesman in 2026 Campaign Push

Former President Jair Bolsonaro has publicly endorsed his son Senator Flávio Bolsonaro as his political spokesman and preferred presidential candidate, in a handwritten letter read during a livestream on Saturday, July 11.

The document, reported by O Globo, urged allies to set aside internal disputes and work for Flávio’s 2026 bid. It did not mention former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, whose recent public disagreement with Flávio has become a source of strain inside the Liberal Party (PL), Brazil’s main right-wing opposition party.

This article is based on single-source reporting from O Globo.

The Letter

In the letter, Jair Bolsonaro said the moment called for supporters to “roll up their sleeves” and put aside possible differences. He described Flávio as “our pre-candidate for president” and “the best option” for removing Brazil from what he called corruption, violence and impoverishment.

Bolsonaro also called Flávio his “spokesman,” saying he trusted him to “rescue Brazil” and lead the country toward “peace and prosperity.” The letter closed with the slogan “God, homeland, family and freedom,” a phrase long associated with Bolsonaro’s political movement.

Flávio read the letter on his YouTube channel and framed it less as a message to political opponents than as a command to Bolsonaro allies. He said the letter was meant to end speculation and prevent competing lines of action inside the movement.

“This is very important to avoid conflicting statements or different directions that someone may be following in parallel to our pre-campaign,” Flávio said, according to O Globo.

Internal Pressure

Flávio also used the broadcast to press wavering allies to commit to his campaign. “The time has come for everyone to jump in, for everyone to put on the shirt,” he said.

The move comes as Flávio tries to consolidate support before the formal campaign calendar. Jair Bolsonaro remains the PL’s most important political endorser, according to O Globo, even as the party works through disputes over who should lead the right-wing ticket in 2026.

The letter was released days after Flávio sought to contain the fallout from a public crisis involving Michelle Bolsonaro. O Globo reported that PL national president Valdemar Costa Neto has called for reconciliation between Flávio and Michelle before the party’s national convention, scheduled for July 25. Valdemar said the party needs to enter the campaign period united.

Michelle was not named in Jair Bolsonaro’s letter. That omission matters because her role in the Bolsonaro movement has been one of the unresolved questions around the party’s 2026 strategy.

Attack on Lula

Flávio also used the livestream to attack President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the leader of the Workers’ Party (PT), Brazil’s main center-left party. He blamed Lula for tariffs imposed on Brazil by trade partners and referred to the PT as the “party of tariffs.”

He said he had tried to use his political influence to prevent a tariff from the U.S. government, though he added that he did not know whether he would succeed. The article did not provide further details on the tariff dispute.

The broadcast therefore served two purposes: it presented Flávio as Jair Bolsonaro’s authorized political voice, and it tried to discipline the broader Bolsonaro camp before a national election in which internal unity could shape the right’s campaign strategy.