Former President Jair Bolsonaro released a handwritten letter Saturday naming his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), as his official spokesperson [1].
The move seeks to consolidate the right-wing movement by resolving internal frictions and centralizing communication ahead of the upcoming election cycle.
Bolsonaro published the letter through Flávio Bolsonaro’s YouTube channel and other social-media platforms on July 11, 2026 [1, 2]. In the text, the former president called for his allies to set aside internal disputes to ensure a unified front. He specifically asked supporters to "arregacem as mangas" — or roll up their sleeves — to support his son's pre-candidacy [3, 4].
"Flávio é meu porta‑voz," Bolsonaro said in the letter [1].
The former president said that the appointment aims to prevent conflicting statements within the political movement. By designating a single spokesperson, Bolsonaro intends to keep the movement's focus strictly on the election [4, 5].
"Peço que deixemos as diferenças de lado e nos unamos em torno da candidatura de Flávio," Bolsonaro said [2].
While some reports suggest the letter follows a period of internal crisis, the text itself does not mention specific disputes between Flávio and other family members [1, 6]. The letter emphasizes a need for collective effort as the country reaches a critical decision point [3].
"O país vive um momento de decisão; precisamos que todos 'arregacem as mangas' e apoiem Flávio," Bolsonaro said [3].
“"Flávio é meu porta‑voz."”
This strategic alignment suggests Jair Bolsonaro is leveraging his personal influence to transfer political capital to his son. By formally designating Flávio as his spokesperson and urging the end of internal differences, the former president is attempting to mitigate factionalism within the PL party and create a disciplined communication structure to protect Flávio's viability as a presidential pre-candidate.
