Flávio Bolsonaro

Flávio Bolsonaro
GOMN GORB
Official portrait, 2019
Senator for Rio de Janeiro
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 February 2019
Preceded byLindbergh Farias
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro
In office
1 February 2003 – 1 February 2019
ConstituencyAt-large
Personal details
Born (1981-04-30) 30 April 1981 (age 45)
Resende, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
PartyPL (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
Fernanda Antunes Figueira
​
​
(m. 2010)​
Children2
Parents
Relatives
EducationCandido Mendes University (LLB)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • lawyer
  • entrepreneur
Websiteflaviobolsonaro.com.br

Flávio Nantes Bolsonaro (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈflavju bowsoˈnaɾu]; born 30 April 1981) is a Brazilian lawyer and politician serving as a senator for Rio de Janeiro since 2019. A son of the 38th president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, he is affiliated with the Liberal Party (PL). He previously served as a state deputy of Rio de Janeiro from 2003 to 2019.

As a state legislator, Bolsonaro held the presidency of the Special Committee on Family Planning. His political career culminated in his election to the senate in 2018, where he garnered 4.38 million votes. Like his father, his political career has been marked by controversial statements. Bolsonaro is the PL candidate in the 2026 Brazilian presidential election with the endorsement of his father.

His political career has been closely associated with his father and has included controversial positions on Brazil's military dictatorship, criminal justice, and the death penalty, as well as involvement in the Rachadinhas corruption investigation. His campaign has emphasized public security, while his political activities have also attracted controversy over alleged connections to the Banco Master scandal and financing of the film Dark Horse.

Early life and education

Bolsonaro was born in Resende, Rio de Janeiro, at the Military Academy of Agulhas Negras, to Jair Bolsonaro and Rogéria Nantes Braga. He graduated from Candido Mendes University with a bachelor of laws degree. During his time at university, he was also officially employed in a full-time, 40-hour-per-week position at the leadership office of the PPB party in the Chamber of Deputies in Brasília. Reporting by BBC Brasil later highlighted a conflict between his official employment in Brasília and his simultaneous in-person attendance at law school and at a volunteer internship at the Public Defender's Office in Rio de Janeiro. He holds specializations in public policy from the University Research Institute of Rio de Janeiro and in entrepreneurship from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation.

Political career

State legislator (2003–2019)

Bolsonaro was elected to his first term in the 2002 Brazilian general election. He was re-elected as a state legislator in 2006, 2010, and in his last candidacy, in 2014, for the 2015–2019 period. In April 2015, he voted in favor of the appointment of Domingos Brazão to the Rio de Janeiro State Court of Accounts. Brazão would later be accused of being behind the assassination of Marielle Franco.

On April 12, 2016, Bolsonaro and his bodyguard, who is also a military police officer, exchanged gunfire with two robbers who were holding up a car ahead of them in Rio de Janeiro's West Zone. One of the assailants was injured and fled on a motorcycle. Like other members of the Bolsonaro family, he opposes what he calls "the media exploitation of human rights enforcement for the benefit of crime and criminals."

In December 2018, the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo revealed that a report from the Council for Financial Activities Control (COAF) had identified an atypical movement of R$ 1.2 million in an account in the name of Fabrício Queiroz, a former aide to Bolsonaro. This marked the beginning of the "rachadinhas case" and led the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office to open an investigation that lasted two years. The probe resulted in charges for the crimes of fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and criminal organization being filed against Bolsonaro, Queiroz, and 15 other individuals involved.

In 2021, the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) annulled the previous rulings on the case involving Queiroz and Bolsonaro. The evidence obtained by breaking the banking, tax, and telephone secrecy of the investigated parties—which had been used to support the Public Prosecutor's charges—was invalidated.

Candidacy for Mayor of Rio de Janeiro (2016)

Bolsonaro in 2014

On July 23, at the Social Christian Party (PSC) convention held at the Bangu Atlético Clube, Bolsonaro officially launched his candidacy for mayor of Rio de Janeiro. The event was attended by the party's national president, Pastor Everaldo, and his father, Congressman Jair Bolsonaro. In his speech, he stated, "Our candidacy is a protest against everything that exists today. Governing is about setting priorities. And the big question is what Rio de Janeiro will be like after the Olympics. Only an independent person, outside this corrupt old political scheme, will have the freedom to make real changes."

In the 2016 elections, he ran for mayor of Rio de Janeiro and finished in 4th place with 424,307 votes, representing 14% of the valid votes. He did not advance to the runoff, contested by Marcelo Crivella (PRB) and Marcelo Freixo (PSOL), but finished ahead of candidates such as congressmen Indio da Costa (PSD), Jandira Feghali (PCdoB), and Alessandro Molon (REDE), among four others. Despite the defeat, he succeeded in getting his brother, Carlos Bolsonaro, elected as the most voted city councilor in Rio de Janeiro. During the first mayoral debate hosted by Band, he fell ill and had to leave the event in the second segment. He reportedly refused medical assistance offered by then-Congresswoman Jandira Feghali.

In an April 2011 interview, while defending his father's positions, he argued they promoted "family" values and ethical principles. That same month, in an interview with O Estado de S. Paulo, he defended the Brazilian military dictatorship, claiming, "Back then there was security, quality healthcare and education, there was respect. Today, what rights do people have? Just to vote. And they still vote poorly." Additionally, Bolsonaro supports the death penalty for heinous crimes and lowering the age of criminal responsibility.

Senator for Rio de Janeiro (2019–present)

Bolsonaro giving an interview as a newly elected senator in 2018

In the 2018 elections, Bolsonaro ran for Senator from the state of Rio de Janeiro for the Social Liberal Party (PSL). The then state legislator's candidacy was announced at the PSL's national convention, held on July 22, 2018, in a convention center in Rio de Janeiro. At the same event, the Jair Bolsonaro 2018 presidential campaign was formalized.

In the election, Bolsonaro received 4,380,418 votes (31.36% of the total valid votes), being elected for the 56th legislature (2019–2027) of the Brazilian Federal Senate. On February 6, 2019, he was elected 3rd Secretary of the Senate's Board of Directors. On June 11, 2019, President Jair Bolsonaro awarded him the medal of the Order of Naval Merit during a ceremony commemorating the Battle of Riachuelo at the Brasília Marine Corps Group, located on the shores of Lake Paranoá.

2026 presidential campaign

Bolsonaro with Argentinian president Javier Milei in June 2026

On December 5, 2025, Bolsonaro publicly announced his candidacy for president in the 2026 Brazilian general election, stating he had received the nomination from his father during a visit to the prison where the latter is being held at the Federal Police headquarters in Brasília. In a statement released on his social media, the senator declared: "It is with great responsibility that I confirm the decision of Brazil's greatest political and moral leader, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, to entrust me with the mission of continuing our national project."

The decision was communicated beforehand to the Liberal Party (PL) and the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, who until then was the main candidate expected to be Jair Bolsonaro's choice in the elections, signaling that he would run for the presidency while Tarcísio is likely to focus on reelection. The announcement generated positive reactions among his allies, including federal congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL), who expressed support for his brother, and the national president of the PL, Valdemar Costa Neto, who endorsed the choice.

Bolsonaro with President Donald Trump In May 2026.

Bolsonaro's candidacy is supported internationally by President of Argentina Javier Milei, the President of Colombia Abelardo de la Espriella, and President of the United States of America Donald Trump.

His campaign placed particular emphasis on public security and crime policy. He was one of the two leading candidates going into the first round of voting on 4 October. Shortly before the final debate hosted by TV Globo, he withdrew from it, citing a decision by a justice of the Superior Electoral Court that prohibited the placement of an empty lectern bearing Lula’s name.

Bolsonaro won a plurality of 47% of the vote over incumbent president Lula da Silva's 45% in the election on 4 October. They will both contest a runoff vote scheduled on 25 October.

Dark Horse financing controversy

This section is an excerpt from Dark Horse (2026 film) § Film financing.[edit]

On 10 December 2025 ' revealed that in 2024 a (NGO) belonging to Karina Ferreira da Gama, owner of GoUp Entertainment, signed a R$108 million contract with the City Hall of São Paulo to provide service to low-income communities in the city. She was one of the executive producers of the film Dark Horse. The next day, several São Paulo city councilors filed complaints to the state's , requesting an investigation into the responsibility of the , , the suspension of contracts signed with the city hall and the investigation of possible irregularities in the bidding process for da Gama's NGO.

In May 2026 Intercept Brasil reported that senator Flávio Bolsonaro had negotiated funding for Dark Horse with banker , the former head of , who was under investigation in the . According to the report, Flávio sought up to R$134 million (2025) (US$23.96 million) for the film, and at least R$61 million was allegedly transferred between February and May 2025 through intermediary structures, including Entre Investimentos e Participações and the Texas-based Havengate Development Fund LP, which was described as linked to allies of . For comparison, the 2025 Oscar-winning Brazilian film ' had a budget of EUR7.6 million (2024) (US$8.23 million) and ', EUR4.7 million (2025) (US$5.3 million).

Brother, I preferred to send you an audio here so you can listen to it calmly. ... Despite you giving us the freedom, Daniel, to press you [for payment], I feel awkward keep pressing you, okay? But anyway... It's because we are at a very decisive moment here with the film and, since there are many overdue installments, man, everyone is tense and I'm worried about the opposite effect of what we envisioned for the movie, right? ... So, if you could give me a heads-up, a position, Daniel, because we need to know what to do, man, with our lives, because there are many... there are already many bills to pay this month and next month too. And now that it's the home stretch, we can't... we can't slip up, we can't fail to honor the commitments here, because otherwise we lose everything, man: the whole contract, we lose actors, we lose the director, we lose the crew, we lose everything. If you could give me a shout, brother. Sorry for the long audio, okay?

— Flávio Bolsonaro, in an audio message sent to Daniel Vorcaro, demanding money for the completion of the film Dark Horse

Flávio Bolsonaro initially denied the report, but later acknowledged having sought private sponsorship from Vorcaro for what he described as a private film about his father. He denied offering advantages, receiving money or using public funds, stating that there had been "zero" public money or funding involved. The production company and Mário Frias denied that funds from Vorcaro or Banco Master had reached the production.

On 15 May 2026, further reporting based on contracts and messages stated that Eduardo Bolsonaro, Flávio Bolsonaro's brother, had served as an executive producer on the film and had responsibilities related to financing strategy, investor materials and fundraising. The reports said the documents contradicted Eduardo's statement that he had merely licensed image rights for the project. Opposition lawmakers subsequently filed a criminal representation with the and the requesting an investigation into Flávio Bolsonaro, Eduardo Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro, Vorcaro, and others over the alleged funding arrangements.

Electoral history

Year Election Party Office Coalition Partners Party Votes Percent Result
2002 State Elections of Rio de Janeiro PP State Deputy N/a 31,293 0.39% Elected
2006 State Elections of Rio de Janeiro N/a 43,099 0.53% Elected
2010 State Elections of Rio de Janeiro N/a 58,322 0.78% Elected
2014 State Elections of Rio de Janeiro N/a 160,359 2.07% Elected
2016 Municipal Election of Rio de Janeiro PSC Mayor Rio Needs Strength to Change
(PSC, PRP)		 Rodrigo Amorim PRP 424,307 14.00% Not elected
2018 State Elections of Rio de Janeiro PSL Senator N/a Paulo Marinho PSL 4,380,418 31.36% Elected
Leonardo Rodrigues PSL
2026 Presidential Election PL President N/a Alfredo Gaspar PL N/a Runoff

References

  1. ↑ "Flávio e Rogério Marinho se filiam ao PL junto com Bolsonaro". Valor Econômico (in Brazilian Portuguese). 29 November 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  2. ↑ "Alerj - Deputado". www.alerj.rj.gov.br. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  3. ↑ "RJ elege Flávio Bolsonaro e Arolde de Oliveira para o Senado". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 7 October 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "'Traidores da pátria': governistas reagem a sugestão de Flávio Bolsonaro para que EUA ataquem barcos com drogas no Rio". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 23 October 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Flávio Bolsonaro: a trajetória do senador e polêmicas". ndmais.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). 15 April 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "Relembre declarações com ofensas às mulheres feitas pelo presidente e a família Bolsonaro". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 March 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "Bolsonaro's eldest son touts father's backing for Brazil presidency in 2026". Reuters. 5 December 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 "Perfil". flaviobolsonaro.com.br. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Como Flávio Bolsonaro ocupou um cargo na Câmara dos Deputados enquanto fazia faculdade e estágio no Rio". BBC News Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Gortázar, Naiara Galarraga (29 August 2020). "As mulheres do poderoso clã Bolsonaro". El País Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  11. ↑ "Conselheiro vapt-vupt: veja quem votou em Brazão para o TCE". Extra Online (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 9 August 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "PF prende Domingos e Chiquinho Brazão, suspeitos de mandar assassinar Marielle". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 24 March 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "Deputado Flávio Bolsonaro atira contra bandido em tentativa de assalto, na Zona Oeste do Rio". Extra Online (in Brazilian Portuguese). 13 April 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Estadão revelou o 'caso das rachadinhas'". Estadão (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  15. ↑ "Flávio Bolsonaro passa mal em debate e é amparado por candidata comunista". Gazeta do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 26 August 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  16. ↑ "G1 - Filhos de Bolsonaro dizem que pai não é preconceituoso - notícias em Rio de Janeiro". g1.globo.com. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  17. ↑ "Para filhos, Bolsonaro diz 'o que a maioria pensa' - politica - Estadao.com.br". Estadão. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  18. ↑ "PSL oficializa candidatura de Jair Bolsonaro à Presidência, mas adia definição de vice". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 22 July 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  19. ↑ "Resultado da eleição para senador no Rio de Janeiro". Eleições 2018 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 10 July 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  20. ↑ "Comissão Diretora - Senado Federal". www25.senado.leg.br. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  21. ↑ "Bolsonaro se reúne com Moro pela primeira vez após divulgação de mensagens" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 7 August 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  22. ↑ "Flávio Bolsonaro confirma pré-candidatura à Presidência em 2026: 'Bolsonaro me conferiu a missão'". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 5 December 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  23. ↑ "Flavio diz ter sido escolhido por Jair para candidatura ao Planalto". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 5 December 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  24. ↑ "Direita reage à pré-candidatura de Flávio para presidente". Gazeta do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 5 December 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  25. ↑ "Milei se reúne con Flávio Bolsonaro y le traslada su apoyo para las elecciones generales de octubre en Brasil". infobae (in Spanish). 30 June 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  26. ↑ "Milei volvió a ratificar su alineamiento con Israel y convocó a la región a sumarse a la lucha contra el antisemitismo". Todo Noticias (in Spanish). 30 June 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  27. ↑ Gualguan, Juan Carlos (27 May 2026). "Abelardo de la Espriella se reunió con dos de las figuras mas fuertes de la derecha brasileña". HSB NOTICIAS (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "La mano de Trump: el respaldo a la ultraderecha para ganar aliados en América Latina". infobae (in Spanish). 26 June 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  29. ↑ "Expertos dicen que EEUU apunta a pandillas brasileñas para influir en las elecciones en Brasil". Independent Español (in Spanish). 1 June 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "TSE proíbe cadeira vazia de Lula; Flávio diz que não vai ao debate da Globo; STF decide incluir Renan". G1. 1 October 2026. Published at 19:37. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  31. ↑ Wells, Ione (4 October 2026). "Brazil election goes to run-off as right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro wins first round". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  32. 1 2 Martins, Laís; Dias, Tatiana (10 December 2025). "'Dark Horse': Ligada a evangélicos, produtora de filme de Bolsonaro tem contrato de R$ 108 milhões com prefeitura de Ricardo Nunes em SP" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  33. ↑ Mota, Isabella (13 December 2025). "ONG da produtora do filme de Bolsonaro pode virar alvo de investigação do MP" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  34. ↑ Teixeira, Isadora (13 May 2026). "Vorcaro pagou R$ 61 milhões para filme de Bolsonaro; Flávio cobrou dinheiro" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  35. ↑ "A bombshell leak threatens Flávio Bolsonaro's election bid". 14 May 2026. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  36. ↑ Savarese, Mauricio (13 May 2026). "Brazil presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing after asking banker for millions". Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  37. ↑ Gutiérrez, Bernardo (27 May 2026). "Steve Bannon impulsa en Brasil una película para glorificar a Bolsonaro, pero el resultado ha sido justo lo contrario". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 May 2026. El hecho de que los 134 millones de reales solicitados por Flávio superen el presupuesto de la película ganadora del Óscar en 2025 Todavía estoy aquí (7,6 millones de euros) y El agente secreto (4,7 millones de euros) ayuda a visibilizar el tamaño del favor que Flávio pidió a Vorcaro.
  38. ↑ Andreoni, Manuela; Teles, Isabel; Brito, Ricardo (15 May 2026). "How a Jim Caviezel film got mixed up in a Brazilian political scandal". Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  39. ↑ AUDIO: Flávio Bolsonaro pressed Daniel Vorcaro for money to fund Jair Bolsonaro's film (Video) (in Portuguese). 13 May 2026.
  40. ↑ Porto, Gustavo (13 May 2026). "Flávio Bolsonaro admite relação com Vorcaro, cita 'patrocínio privado' para filme sobre o pai e pede CPI do Banco Master". Money Times (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  41. ↑ Waltenberg, Guilherme (13 May 2026). "Flávio confirma pedido de dinheiro a Vorcaro, mas diz que era privado". Poder360 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  42. 1 2 "Além de Daniel Vorcaro, deputado de MS também ajudou a 'bancar' filme sobre Bolsonaro". Correio do Estado (in Brazilian Portuguese). 13 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  43. ↑ "Eduardo Bolsonaro atuou como produtor em filme com recursos de Vorcaro, diz site" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 15 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  44. ↑ Megre, Andrei (15 May 2026). "Eduardo tinha poder sobre dinheiro do filme de Bolsonaro, revela contrato" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  45. 1 2 3 4 5 "Urna eletrônica já deu 115 milhões de votos ao clã Bolsonaro e garantiu 76 anos de salários", g1.globo.com
  46. ↑ « RIO DE JANEIRO, RJ » (« 1º TURNO »), g1.globo.com
  47. ↑ « Resultados », tse.jus.br