Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro said he has no proof of election fraud but continues to question President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory and has not ruled out a presidential run in 2030. (Foto: Instagram)
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro said he has no proof of fraud in Brazil’s presidential election but continues to question the vote count and the legitimacy of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory. In an interview with Folha de S.Paulo published Friday, Nov. 6, he said he could seek the presidency in 2030 if his party supports him. Flávio has disputed the election result since leaving Brazil for the United States. He also argued that neither he nor Lula could say with complete certainty who won, and claimed he could not obtain evidence because, in his view, investigating the matter is prohibited in Brazil. “I have no proof, and I won’t have any, because investigating this subject is forbidden,” he said.
Lula defeated Flávio in the runoff, receiving 64.2 million votes, or 51.79% of valid ballots, compared with Flávio’s 59.8 million votes, or 48.21%—a margin of about 4.4 million. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) recognized the result, which was also acknowledged by more than 100 countries. Flávio’s Liberal Party (PL) formally accepted the outcome in a statement signed by its president, Valdemar Costa Neto. Flávio singled out the extension of voting hours in Bahia, ordered by the TSE after problems at some polling places. The extension, however, applied nationwide.
Flávio also claimed there was no mathematical explanation for Lula’s increased vote total between the first round and the runoff, presenting that as a reason to suspect manipulation. Election figures show that both candidates gained votes in the second round: Lula added 10.3 million, while Flávio added 3.7 million. Asked about his lack of evidence, the senator again criticized election institutions and said the TSE was “dominated” by the government. The court is led by Justice Kassio Nunes Marques, whom former President Jair Bolsonaro appointed to the Supreme Federal Court; Justice André Mendonça, also appointed by Jair Bolsonaro, is another member.
Flávio said the PL’s legal strategy would not accuse officials of manipulating the vote count. Instead, he said, the party intends to seek the removal of Lula and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin from office, alleging economic abuse of power. The case would focus on government measures announced or carried out during the election period, including an increase in Bolsa Família benefits, the Pé-de-Meia Universitário program and a promised 5,000 reais payment to individual microentrepreneurs. The source material does not provide a dollar equivalent for that amount.
Discussing a possible 2030 presidential run by São Paulo Gov. Tarcísio de Freitas, Flávio said everyone has the right to put forward their name and indicated he might run as well. He said he could seek office in an earlier election or in 2030, if he wanted to and the party agreed. He added that he would support his father, Jair Bolsonaro, if the former president regained his political rights and became eligible to run.
Flávio did not explain how he arranged his trip to the United States, though he said he left Brazil on his own initiative. That account differs from one by Jason Miller, a White House aide, who said he arranged the private jet used by Flávio and his family. In an interview with The New York Times, Flávio denied receiving help from governments and said he intended to regularize his immigration status. He said he would continue serving as a senator, including remotely, and would not return to Brazil while he believed he could not receive a fair trial.
