Flávio Bolsonaro: The political legacy of the imprisoned ex-president

He danced, laughed and let himself be carried on his shoulders at the election campaign events: Flávio Bolsonaro could become the next president of Brazil. The eldest son of the imprisoned Jair Bolsonaro has been chosen by his father to inherit his political legacy.

Brazil's former president was found guilty of plotting an attempted coup after losing the election four years ago. Since he cannot therefore run for office, his son Flávio should now take over.

"I may be calmer, smile more, appear more relaxed and moderate. But here - here there is Bolsonaro blood," he recently explained, emphasizing the continuity of his politics with those of his father. The 45-year-old professional politician has so far been a rather inconspicuous senator in the Brazilian parliament. Moderate in tone, however, he stands for the same politics. The junior promises a tough hand against criminals, less welfare state and conservative values: God, fatherland, family.

Women could decide the election

These are values that are also very important to Liz de Souza. The 42-year-old lives with her husband José and six children in a suburb of Brasília. She wears an apron over her pink dress and smells of freshly baked cake. The father says the prayer at the table.

Under Lula and his Workers' Party, the country's values ​​have shifted in the wrong direction, says de Souza. She rejects abortion and has little use for feminism. He harms women "because he wants to transform the woman into something she is not," she says. "I believe that the woman should be closer to the children and the house because our nature is that we want to take care."

With Flávio Bolsonaro, de Souza finds many things that are important to her: Christian values, a traditional family image, fewer taxes and economic freedom. She also wants more freedom of choice when it comes to teaching her children. Homeschooling is not yet regulated by law in Brazil.

Women make up 53 percent of society and they could decide the election. So far, women have tended to vote on the left. But that is currently changing. For a long time, conservatives like her remained silent for fear of being condemned by the progressive left, says Liz de Souza. Now she feels an upswing.

Concern about Bolsonaro's climate policy

Neuri Cruz lives around 2,000 kilometers away on the Rio Negro, in a small community in the middle of the Amazon. The forest and river are the basis of life for the indigenous Kambeba people who live there. "Nature gives us everything without us needing anything else. Living with nature always makes us strong."

Cruz, also 42, walks through the village of 600 in flip-flops, a T-shirt and shorts. It hasn't rained for three months and the mangoes remain unripe. The smell of burning is in the hot air. Residents have been experiencing extreme drought for years. In 2023, water levels in the Amazon region fell dramatically, fish died and waterways became impassable.

Flávio Bolsonaro questions the decisive influence of humans on climate change and describes heat, heavy rain and droughts primarily as cyclical extreme events.

For Cruz, the idea of ​​the Bolsonaros returning is frightening. "Climate change is only felt by those who live in the Amazon. We are the ones who are affected by it. Anyone who sits in an office with air conditioning, who has a good time in Brasília, will not feel it."

Flávio Bolsonaro promises to bring illegal deforestation to zero by 2029. But his experiences with his father's government continue to have an impact. Under Jair Bolsonaro, funds for environmental and climate protection were cut, and deforestation in the Amazon rose sharply.

More support for indigenous people under Lula

During the Corona pandemic, Brazil's Supreme Court had to oblige the government to present a protection plan for indigenous communities and ensure their health care. Neuri Cruz shows the village's small health center, similar to a doctor's office.

She hasn't forgotten the pandemic: "All these memories come back, especially of 2020 and all the suffering. A lot of people died." The fact that they are now being supplied with medicine is thanks to the Lula government's programs. It also supports indigenous people with scholarships that enable young people from the community to study, said Cruz.

In the evening the village gathers for a ritual. Fire and drums, quiet singing. For Neuri Cruz, her choice is clear: If you want “we can preserve our water, our land and, above all, our forest,” you should vote for Lula.

The de Souza family also gathered. In her church she prays for her candidate Bolsonaro. The outcome of today's election is open. If one of the two candidates does not achieve an absolute majority, there will be a runoff election on October 25th.