SAO PAULO, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro said on Tuesday his decision to run for president in 2026 is “irreversible,” reaffirming he would challenge President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after suggesting over the weekend he might step aside.
The lawmaker spoke to reporters after visiting his father, former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula.
“I told him this candidacy is irreversible,” the younger Bolsonaro said. “And in his own words, ‘we will not turn back.’ Now it is time to talk to people so we can have the right people on our side.”
The senator first announced on Friday that his father backed him for a presidential run, jolting markets that had bet on a more seasoned, market-friendly candidate such as Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas consolidating support on the right.
Freitas said on Monday he would support Flavio.
The lawmaker thanked Freitas and said he understood the market reaction over “concerns” that Lula could remain in office for another four years, while adding that his candidacy would now gain traction to challenge the leftist leader.
(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Alison Williams)
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