Brazil, candidate Flavio Bolsonaro voted in Rio de Janeiro

The right-wing candidate for the presidency of Brazil, Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL), voted this morning in Rio de Janeiro, in the Vila Isabel neighborhood, a few minutes after the polls opened at 8 am local time. Leaving the polling station, the senator called on Brazilians to go to the polls as soon as possible and attacked the government of outgoing president and re-election candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

“I hope that Brazilians will put an end to this era of backwardness,” he said. "Brazil cannot endure another four years of this and the only alternative is Flavio Bolsonaro," he added, stating that he is ready to lead the country and give families the chance to look to the future.

At 45 years old, with a law degree, he is the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, currently imprisoned for a sentence of 27 years and 3 months for attempted coup d'état. Flavio began his political career at the age of 21, serving four terms as a deputy in the legislative assembly of the state of Rio de Janeiro. In 2016, he unsuccessfully ran for mayor of the city. In 2018 he was elected senator with over four million votes. The parliamentary mandate expires at the end of this legislature.