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Brazil’s political landscape was shaken on Thursday after former President Jair Bolsonaro publicly endorsed his son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, as a pre-candidate for the 2026 presidential election. The endorsement was delivered in a written statement read aloud by Flavio outside a hospital in Brasília, where Bolsonaro was recovering from a scheduled hernia operation that doctors said was successful and without complications.
The endorsement came amid heightened legal and political scrutiny of the former president. Bolsonaro, 70, is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted of plotting a coup. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized his temporary release from prison for the medical procedure, citing health concerns. Authorities imposed strict security measures during his hospital stay, including banning mobile phones and computers from his room and ordering police to remain outside.
In his statement, Bolsonaro said he was nominating Flavio Bolsonaro as a pre-candidate to ensure that “the popular will is not silenced,” signaling a continuation of his conservative political agenda. Flavio Bolsonaro, 44, has stated that he aims to preserve his father’s political legacy and challenge incumbent leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the October 4, 2026 election.
Doctors confirmed that the surgery lasted approximately three hours and proceeded as expected. Bolsonaro is expected to remain hospitalized for five to seven days and may undergo an additional procedure to address persistent hiccups, a condition he has faced in recent years. Since surviving a near-fatal stabbing during the 2018 presidential campaign, Bolsonaro has undergone multiple abdominal surgeries and experienced recurring health issues.
The endorsement has already had market implications. Investors were reportedly unsettled by the move, having anticipated that Bolsonaro might support a more established conservative figure such as São Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas. Following the cancellation of a planned interview earlier this week, the Brazilian real strengthened nearly 1% against the U.S. dollar.
Flavio Bolsonaro confirmed earlier this month that his father supports his presidential ambitions, making Thursday’s statement a formal and highly symbolic step in Brazil’s evolving political narrative ahead of the 2026 election.
