Flávio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old senator and firstborn to Brazil’s disgraced former president, is trying to unseat Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, free Dad from a 27-year sentence and restore the family dynasty to the presidential palace. Part presidential bid, part personal vendetta, it’s a political storyline so juicy that Netflix executives are likely hard at work already figuring out who to cast in the eight-part dramatized documentary. But, just as every good drama series needs a wildcard character, there’s another person involved in this intense family affair: Uncle Donald.
The President of the United States is an old friend of Bolsonaro Sr., and for proponents of the "Donroe Doctrine," Brazil is one of the biggest prizes on the board. A Bolsonaro restoration would put a Trump ally in charge of Latin America's largest economy, erode China’s influence and further Washington’s interests in its hemispheric backyard, experts told Newsweek. First, though, Junior has to win—and any attempt by Trump to tip the scales in his favor before October’s elections may give Lula all the ammunition he needs to vanquish the Bolsonaro clan once and for all.
The first presidential shootout between Lula and Bolsonaro was unbelievably tense. The campaign was marred by brutal exchanges: Bolsonaro labeled his opponent a "thief" and "ex-convict" who belonged back in prison—a reference to the president’s conviction on corruption charges later overturned by Brazil’s Supreme Court. Lula, meanwhile, styled himself as a beacon of democracy protecting the nation against a "genocidal" former army captain.
Both were bloodied and battered, but Lula eked out the victory. He took 50.9 percent of the votes in 2022 versus Bolsonaro's 49.1 percent and secured his third presidential term in the closest election in modern Brazilian history. In defeat, Bolsonaro took a leaf out of Trump’s book.
First, he refused to concede. Then he cried election fraud and cast doubt on Brazil’s electronic ballot box. Then he went a step further, and paid the price.
Last year, he was found guilty of plotting a military coup and sentenced to 27 years in prison. He is now under house arrest as he battles mounting health problems. One son has already been burned trying to save him.
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