In a dramatic political move from a hospital bed, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has officially endorsed his son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, for the country's 2026 presidential election. The announcement was made on Thursday, December 25, while the elder Bolsonaro was recovering from a scheduled hernia operation.
Endorsement from Behind Bars and Hospital Walls
The 70-year-old former leader, who is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup, was granted temporary release by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to undergo the surgery. Police were ordered to remain outside his room, where electronic devices like computers and mobile phones were prohibited.
In a statement read aloud by his son in front of the DF Star Hospital in Brasilia, Jair Bolsonaro declared his support. "With the commitment of not allowing the popular will to be silenced, I make the decision to nominate Flavio Bolsonaro as a pre-candidate for the presidency in 2026," the statement said.
A Political Legacy and Market Jitters
The 44-year-old Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has stated his intention to consolidate his father's conservative legacy and challenge leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the October 2026 vote. This endorsement, however, has unsettled financial markets.
Many investors had anticipated Bolsonaro would back a more experienced candidate, such as São Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas. The uncertainty was palpable earlier in the week when the cancellation of a planned interview, where Jair Bolsonaro was expected to formalize the endorsement, caused the Brazilian real to strengthen by nearly 1% against the US dollar.
Ongoing Health Struggles and Legal Woes
Jair Bolsonaro's health has been a recurring concern since he survived a near-fatal stabbing during the 2018 campaign. The hernia operation on December 25, which lasted about three hours, was described by his doctor, Claudio Birolini, as expected and uneventful. Bolsonaro is expected to remain hospitalized for five to seven days.
Doctors Birolini and Brasil Ramos Caiado also indicated the former president might undergo a separate procedure for his recurring hiccups during this hospital stay, with a decision to be made after a reassessment on Monday.
Deemed a flight risk following his conviction, Bolsonaro was detained in late November 2025 and began serving his lengthy sentence three days later. His political future may be behind bars, but his influence on Brazil's next election is now firmly in the hands of his son.
