247 - Former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) declared this Friday (18), in an interview with the Reuters news agency, that the absence of his name in the 2026 presidential election paves the way for the victory of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).
According to him, the current president"could win anyone's election" if he weren't in the running. Bolsonaro is ineligible and faces trial for attempted coup, in addition to other ongoing investigations.
"Lula, without me [in the race], wins anyone's election. He'll win the election. He has the machine in his hands, he uses it. The consequences don't matter," the former president stated.
Throughout the interview, Bolsonaro again complained about the process that prevents him from running."How unfair it is that I can't run. How unfair it is to call me a coup plotter," he said. Even aware of his ineligibility imposed by the Electoral Court, the former president stated:"For now, I'm a candidate; it doesn't even cross my mind to nominate anyone else."
Prediction of arrest and criticism of the Supreme Federal Court
During his conversation with Reuters, Bolsonaro said he expects to be arrested by the end of August, when his trial for the coup plot he allegedly led is scheduled. He was also the target of a Federal Police operation this Friday and was ordered, by order of Minister Alexandre de Moraes, to wear an electronic ankle bracelet.
"The feeling is that [the arrest] will happen. By next month, when the trial is due. The trial is around August 20th. No one has ever seen a process as fast as mine," Bolsonaro said. When asked if he was prepared for a possible arrest, he replied:"I'm 70 years old and have extensive life experience. Anything can happen."
The former president accused Moraes of persecution and offered a dramatic metaphor for his situation: "I'm on the scaffold. When the sovereign Alexandre de Moraes feels the need to kick the stool, he will." He went further: "The system doesn't want me arrested; the system wants me dead."
Social media restrictions and Eduardo Bolsonaro's international activities
Bolsonaro also protested the ban on social media, one of the precautionary measures imposed by Moraes."It's cowardly; it's not democracy. Taking away someone's voice is not democracy. I'm not convicted yet. I'm facing a process that makes no sense," he complained.
The remarks to Reuters were Bolsonaro's third public statement that day. He had previously spoken in front of the Federal Police headquarters and, later, upon arriving at the PL headquarters in Brasília.
Another focus of the interview was the international activities of his son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), who is currently in the United States. Jair Bolsonaro stated that Eduardo is trying to influence American public opinion and the administration of Donald Trump—a second-term US president—in favor of his political group. According to the former president, his son risks imprisonment if he returns to Brazil and could choose to become a US citizen:"I believe he will seek the alternative of becoming an American citizen and will never return here."
Context and investigations
The Federal Police's new operation against Bolsonaro is related to an investigation involving Eduardo Bolsonaro. The former president is accused of leading a coup attempt to prevent Lula's inauguration in 2023. He also faces other ongoing proceedings.
With an electronic ankle bracelet and restricted communication, Bolsonaro is under intense surveillance on the eve of the trial of the main charge against him. His group's goal is to internationalize the narrative of persecution, using interviews like the one given to Reuters to mobilize support among allies abroad, especially in the US.
