Brazil's Bolsonaro backs son in presidential race

Brazil's jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro used a hospital stay for surgery to formally endorse his son Flavio's 2026 presidential bid.

Brazil's jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday formally endorsed his son Flavio's bid for the 2026 presidential election, announcing his support from a hospital in Brasilia where he underwent hernia surgery.

In office from 2019 to 2022, Bolsonaro is a controversial figure, after pursuing hard‑right populist policies that his opponents claim undermined democratic institutions and targeted marginalized groups. He is currently in jail serving a 27‑year sentence for an attempted coup.