British newspaper claims that Bolsonaro clan “self-destructed”
A report by the British newspaper Financial Times published on Monday (1/12) states that the Brazilian right is looking for a new leader after the “Bolsonaro clan self-destructed” — in reference to the arrest of the former Brazilian president and internal disputes involving his children, wife and other allied politicians.
“Jair Bolsonaro was Brazil’s firebrand right-wing president, who idolized Donald Trump and sought to build a political dynasty in Latin America’s largest democracy,” states the newspaper’s report.
“But with the 70-year-old president now in prison for plotting to carry out a coup and his children suffering from mistakes of their own making, his Bolsonarista movement is in crisis.”
The report states that the Bolsonaro clan’s strategy of seeking help in Washington “backfired spectacularly”, and that Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro’s lobbying for tariffs against Brazil “irritated the Brazilian business class and exposed Eduardo to accusations in his country”.
According to the newspaper, “a large part of the Bolsonaro clan’s appeal lies in its ability to read the population’s sentiment”, but “the family’s attempts to free Bolsonaro from prison by appealing to his long-time ally, Trump, have proven to be disastrous”.
The Financial Times states that the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, is one of the main names on the right in the race for the presidential candidate in 2026. But the governor would only be willing to run, according to the newspaper, if Bolsonaro supported him and gave up on launching one of his sons.
“At 70 years old and in poor health, Jair Bolsonaro could spend the rest of his life in prison. A campaign by his supporters for a pardon has failed. Analysts say the former president’s best chance of avoiding death in jail is for his family to abandon their long-held dream of electing another Bolsonaro and support a new conservative candidate.”
The newspaper states that even if the governor wins the support of the most radical Bolsonarists, “who represent around 20% of the electorate, he will face a tough battle for the presidency” in an election against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“Lula is an experienced politician with great political ability who has already declared his intention to run for a fourth term. The Brazilian economy is performing well, with strong growth in jobs and wages, as its low dependence on the American market has protected it from the worst effects of Trump’s tariffs.”
The right’s best hope, according to the Financial Times, is that issues such as crime and public security, “widely seen as Lula’s weak point”, will end up dominating the election.
Originally published by BBC News on 12/02/2025
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2025/12/02/direita-brasileira-procura-novo-lider-apos-cla-bolsonaro-se-autodestruir-diz-financial-times/
