Senator and pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) gave an interview to the European conservative portal Visegrád, in which he stated that the top leadership of the Brazilian Judiciary was “equipped” by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva through appointments to the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
Questioned by the interviewer, Bolsonaro said that Lula indicated to the STF names that had a direct link with his government and his personal defense. He cited the appointments of Minister Flávio Dino, former Minister of Justice, and Cristiano Zanin, who was Lula’s personal lawyer in previous court cases. In the interview, Flávio Bolsonaro also mentioned minister Alexandre de Moraes, stating that the magistrate would be a “declared enemy” of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
“Unfortunately, the top leadership of the Judiciary in Brazil is equipped by Lula. Not only Flávio Dino, who was his Minister of Justice very recently, but his own personal lawyer was also appointed to the Supreme Court. He participated in the trial, or the farce, that condemned President Jair Bolsonaro, along with Flávio Dino and Alexandre de Moraes, who is a declared enemy of President Bolsonaro”, said the senator. “What President Bolsonaro suffers in Brazil is great persecution, and he was judged by his own enemies. We will certainly change this scenario from 2027 onwards, because the only certainty I have is that Lula will no longer be president of Brazil from next year”, he said.
Asked about foreign policy, Flávio Bolsonaro stated that, in his eventual government, Brazil would resume a closer relationship with the United States and with countries that “share democratic and Judeo-Christian values”.
“I recognize the extremely important role of the United States not only in Brazil, but in the world. We will certainly have a very pragmatic relationship, but also taking into account those countries where there is democracy and that share the same Judeo-Christian values that we, Brazilians, have and that the people of the West have. We will have a much closer relationship with the United States”, he said.
Flávio Bolsonaro also defended, in the interview, the adoption of a tougher policy against organized crime. The pre-candidate stated that President Lula is “idolized by imprisoned criminals” and criticized the fact that prisoners can vote in Brazil. According to him, “Brazil’s jails” were “in celebration” after Lula’s election in 2022. Flávio also said that “90% of prisoners voted for Lula”.
The senator said that, in a possible government, he intends to adopt a stricter public security policy, inspired by the model applied by the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, with the harsher treatment of dangerous criminals and the expansion of the construction of maximum security prisons.
Flávio Bolsonaro also declared support for Israel and defended cooperation with the country and the United States in the fight against terrorism. He recalled that terrorist groups are operating in the Triple Border region, between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, financing organized crime, which would require international partnerships in the area of national security.
