Brazil presidential hopeful Flavio Bolsonaro praises second Trump term

GRAPEVINE: Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian president Jair, on Saturday praised US President Donald Trump’s second term, promising an improved version of his father’s presidency if elected in October.
“Trump 2.0 is being much better than Trump 1.0, right? Well, Bolsonaro 2.0 will also be much better,” the 44-year-old senator said during a speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gathering in Texas.
“I’m going to win because it’s the will of my people. But for that will to be preserved, we need free and fair elections.”
The controversial far-right leader’s son also repeated the accusation that the administration of former president Joe Biden interfered to help leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva rise to power in the 2022 election cycle.
Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison last year after he was found guilty of having led a scheme to prevent Lula from taking office and to retain power.
Bolsonaro has maintained his innocence, declaring he was a victim of political persecution.
The younger Bolsonaro is expected to be the main rival of Lula, 80, who is seeking a fourth term in office.
He has described himself as more moderate than his firebrand father and is a hard-liner on security.
With seven months remaining until the vote, the two frontrunners are running neck and neck in the polls.
Bolsonaro called for the world to “monitor our people’s freedom of expression” and to “apply diplomatic pressure so that our institutions function properly.”