Flavio Bolsonaro launches Brazil presidential bid, backed by Netanyahu and Milei

On Saturday, Flavio Bolsonaro—still widely seen as the face of Brazil’s far‑right—officially opened his bid for the 2026 presidency. The launch took place at the Liberal Party’s convention in São Paulo, a modest gathering that felt more like a rally for supporters than a grand political theatre.

“This isn’t just a party convention,” Flavio declared, echoing his father’s combative style. “It’s the start of the toughest battle of our lives, a fight between good and evil.” The words rang out as a pre‑recorded AI video of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27‑year sentence, flickered on the screen. His physical absence was palpable, yet his presence was invoked to lend the event a sense of continuity.

The most eye‑catching moments, however, came from abroad. Argentine President Javier Milei arrived the night before, flew into Brazil, and met with São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. The next day he took the stage, brandishing a national football jersey and a fiery critique of President Luiz Inácio Lula, insisting that Flavio could “save Brazil from socialism.”

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a short video message. In it he called Flavio “a great champion of Brazil” and praised the friendship between the two peoples. The clips were short, but they were meant to signal that the new right‑wing coalition in Latin America was reaching beyond borders.

Despite the foreign applause, the room was oddly quiet on the home‑front. Few senior Brazilian politicians turned up, and centre‑right parties kept a respectable distance. The only local heavyweight was the governor of São Paulo, who met Milei behind closed doors.

Polls, meanwhile, paint a bleaker picture for Flavio. Recent surveys show him trailing Lula by double‑digits, a gap that has stubbornly held despite the glossy endorsements. The left‑leaning incumbent’s Workers’ Party is set to reconvene on August 2 to cement his re‑election bid.

Flavio’s campaign also inherits the baggage that has dogged his father. He has echoed unsubstantiated claims about Brazil’s electronic voting system—a narrative many fear could be used to delegitimize the vote should the results go against him. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, eager to keep an eye on the race, saw two of its officials denied visas when they tried to meet Brazil’s election authorities, a move the government framed as a safeguard against foreign meddling.

In short, the launch was a mix of symbolic gestures and stark realities: high‑profile foreign support, a stark absence of domestic allies, and polling numbers that suggest the road ahead will be anything but easy for Flavio Bolsonaro.