Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, a leading opposition candidate in the country’s presidential election, has promised to accept the result of the October vote.
Speaking to TV Globo’s Jornal Nacional on Friday, Flavio said he would respect Brazil’s electoral process and its final outcome. He also stressed that he wants to win the election under the country’s existing rules.
“I will respect the electoral process; I will respect the results,” Flavio said during the interview.
The statement marks an important position for the right-wing politician. His father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, has spent years questioning Brazil’s electronic voting system.
Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted of plotting to overturn his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.
Flavio Bolsonaro backs electoral process
Flavio Bolsonaro is the eldest son of Jair Bolsonaro and has emerged as one of the main opposition figures ahead of the October presidential vote.
His decision to publicly commit to accepting the election result could help distinguish his campaign from his father’s previous challenges to Brazil’s voting system.
Jair Bolsonaro was convicted by a panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court last September. Prosecutors accused him and his allies of planning a coup to remain in power after he lost the 2022 election to left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The former president had also repeatedly raised doubts about electronic voting machines before and after the election.
Flavio, however, said he intends to operate within the current electoral system if he becomes president.
Promise of amnesty for January rioters
Flavio Bolsonaro also outlined one of his key political proposals during the interview.
He said he would seek to grant amnesty to people convicted over the January 2023 riots in Brasilia.
Thousands of supporters of Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings in the capital at the time. They attacked the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court.
The unrest came shortly after Lula took office following his victory over Jair Bolsonaro.
Flavio has argued for leniency toward those convicted over the riots, making the issue an important part of his political platform.
Distance from US tariff policy
The senator also sought to distance himself from Washington’s trade policy toward Brazil.
He criticized the US decision to impose tariffs on some Brazilian goods in July. The Trump administration had justified the measures by citing concerns over trade practices.
The tariffs came after Washington had already imposed other levies on Brazilian products.
The Trump administration also accused Brazilian authorities of unfairly targeting Jair Bolsonaro during his legal proceedings, describing the case against him as a political “witch hunt.”
Those tariffs were later removed.
Brazil election enters a crucial phase
Flavio Bolsonaro’s pledge to respect the election result comes as Brazil prepares for another closely watched presidential contest.
The senator faces the challenge of building his own political identity while remaining closely associated with his father’s influential political movement.
His comments on Friday are likely to receive significant attention as voters consider the candidates ahead of the October election.
For Flavio, the message is clear: he wants to win under Brazil’s existing electoral rules and says he will accept the result of the vote.
