Thiusands Rally Across Brasil In Support of Former President Bolsonaro

Thousands Rally Across Brazil in Support of Jailed Former President Bolsonaro BRAZIL Brazil Thousands of supporters rallied across Brazil over the weekend in support of former right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, in an effort to build support for his son ahead of October’s presidential elections, the Associated Press reported. Demonstrations took place in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and the capital, Brasília, with protesters draped in the yellow and green of the national flag, calling for Bolsonaro’s release and denouncing leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Signs reading “Free Bolsonaro” and “Get out Lula” were visible, along with hats declaring support for the jailed president’s son, Flávio Bolsonaro. Brazil’s right is looking to unify after Bolsonaro anointed Flávio, a Rio de Janeiro senator, as his political heir in December. The former president is serving a 27-year prison sentence for charges linked to a failed coup plot following his 2022 re-election loss to Lula. The decision to name Flávio as heir to the right-wing movement initially triggered mixed reactions within the Bolsonaro family and the broader conservative camp, with two governors launching their own presidential bids, according to Agence France-Presse. Bolsonaro said in a note from prison that he regrets “the criticism coming from the right itself” and urged allies to avoid internal divisions. While initially reluctant, Flávio has embraced the candidacy and sought to present a united front. Appearing alongside potential rivals, he told supporters that the Oct. 4 elections “will be decisive,” adding that the conservatives are “one ste