Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), candidate for President, promoted a political event on September 7th on Avenida Paulista this Monday (7) and made a series of criticisms of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) minister Alexandre de Moraes, associating the magistrate with President Lula (PT), his main opponent in the election.
In a speech, Flávio said that "whoever votes for Lula is voting for Alexandre de Moraes" and that the magistrate "will fall".
The PL presidential candidate said that there is a "consortium" between Lula and the minister and that he will work to "rescue the credibility" of the Supreme Court, if he is elected.
Bolsonaro supporters tried to boost the act last week using as fuel the messages revealed between the Supreme Court minister and Daniel Vorcaro, from Banco Master.
Flávio himself, however, faces difficulties in the campaign because of the Master case. In May, it was revealed that he asked Vorcaro for money to finance the film "Dark Horse", about his father, Jair Bolsonaro. The episode is under investigation by the Federal Police. The senator denies irregularities and did not present documents proving the destination of the amounts, unlike what he stated he would do four months ago.
In this Monday's speech, Flávio did not directly mention the Master or Vorcaro. He stated that it is necessary to "protect Moraes' STF" and that the country is experiencing "moral chaos". "The Supreme Court is not Alexandre de Moraes".
Without giving details, he also said that "they will try once again to interfere in the elections", without specifying who he was referring to, and compared this situation to the stab wound suffered by his father during the 2018 campaign. He also called January 8 "this farce".
He also cited suspicions involving Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, son of the president known as Lulinha, and cited his move to Spain. "Who's playing Lulinha?"
Flávio arrived at the scene around 3pm. Among the allies present were PL deputies Marco Feliciano and Sóstenes Cavalcante, former deputy Deltan Dallagnol (Novo), senator Sergio Moro (PL) and pastor Silas Malafaia.
Supporters brought flags of the United States and Israel, as well as photos of those convicted of January 8, called political prisoners. There was also an inflatable doll of American President Donald Trump, holding Lula in prison clothes. Below, we read the words, in English: "Trump, free Brazil" — in January, the American government captured the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The protest became a campaign platform for a series of deputy candidates. Republicans, PL and PP distributed cards and held up flags.
Earlier, before the start of the rally, a group of left-wing protesters clashed with another group arriving for the right-wing rally on the corner of Alamedas Peixoto Gomide and Alameda Santos. “The PM and the GCM [Metropolitan Civil Guard] intervened to contain the parties,” the corporation said in a statement.
Images circulating on social media show the firing of tear gas bombs.
Before the act, Bolsonarists mobilized in defense of Supreme Court Minister André Mendonça, who is the rapporteur of the Master case and who on Tuesday (1st) removed the confidentiality of the PF report that showed dialogues between Moraes and the former banker. In an order in the fake news inquiry, Moraes asked that Mendonça be investigated for abuse of authority, administrative improbity and criminal liability.
Mendonça, who is evangelical, recorded a video thanking supporters for their prayers. Posters from those present expressed support for the magistrate.
Federal deputy Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO) spoke and asked for applause from those present for the Supreme Court minister.
One of those who spoke was the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, who is running for re-election. The governor said that the Supreme Court needs to come together to investigate the case. "An institutional response is necessary."
Candidate for vice president, Alfredo Gaspar criticized Alexandre de Moraes and said that "there is no Lula without Alexandre". There was a chorus of “Lula out and Moraes out”.
The mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB), who has been Flávio's electoral campaigner in the capital of São Paulo, stated that "Supreme are the Brazilian people" and asked right-wing senators for votes.
Also in a brief speech, Daniella Marques, former president of Caixa Econômica Federal under the Jair Bolsonaro administration, said that Lula promised picanha and delivered pizza in installments. "Let's put an end to this waste," he said.
President of the PL, Valdemar Costa Neto stated, in his speech to the trio, that "Bolsonaro will be imprisoned for another ten years if Flávio is not elected", prompting a chorus of "back, Bolsonaro".
Silas Malafaia spoke harshly against Alexandre de Moraes, whom he called a "dictator" repeatedly. According to Malafaia, the evidence that the Supreme Court minister reviewed Daniel Vorcaro's contract with the minister's wife's law firm is "proof of the purchase of power and influence by this dictator."
Malafaia stated that the objective of his speech was not to preach revenge or discredit the Supreme Court, and asked Minister Edson Fachin, president of the Supreme Court, to remove Moraes.
"We need strong institutions. Disgracing the Supreme Court is destroying democracy and the Republic," he said.
As he began to speak to the trio, federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL) shouted "out, Moraes" and stated that next year Flávio Bolsonaro will nominate four ministers of the Supreme Court.
The deputy mentioned the revealed audio of a conversation between him and Vorcaro, stating that he never signed a contract with the former banker and that Vorcaro never asked him to interfere in the actions of the PF and PGR.
"If not, I wouldn't be called Nikolas Ferreira, I would be called Alexandre de Moraes. And your place, Xandão, is in jail."
Nikolas also criticized the Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, the director of the PF, Andrei Rodrigues, and the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre.
A survey carried out by the Cebrap Political Debate Monitor and the NGO More in Common calculated that the audience at Paulista this Monday was 28 thousand people. The measurement was taken at 4:32 pm, the peak moment of the demonstration, using photos taken by drones and artificial intelligence systems.
In the most recent Datafolha, released on Thursday (3), Lula (PT) appears 38% of voting intentions in the first round, compared to 33% for Flávio. The survey also confirmed the rise of Augusto Cury (Avante), who rose six points and reached 8%.
