Brazilian presidential hopeful Flavio Bolsonaro vows to surpass his father’s legacy while praising Trump’s second term and criticising US interference.

GRAPEVINE: Flavio Bolsonaro has promised an improved version of his father’s presidency if elected in Brazil’s October vote. The 44-year-old senator made the remarks while praising US President Donald Trump’s second term.

“Trump 2.0 is being much better than Trump 1.0, right? Well, Bolsonaro 2.0 will also be much better,” he said during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas. He described himself as more moderate than his firebrand father but a hardliner on security.

The controversial far-right leader’s son repeated accusations that the Biden administration interfered to help leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva win the 2022 election. He called for the world to “monitor our people’s freedom of expression” and to “apply diplomatic pressure so that our institutions function properly.”

Flavio Bolsonaro is expected to be the main rival to Lula, who is 80 and seeking a fourth term. With seven months until the vote, the two frontrunners are running neck and neck in the polls.

He also addressed his father’s legal troubles, stating, “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.” Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison last year for leading a scheme to prevent Lula from taking office.

The elder Bolsonaro has maintained his innocence, declaring he was a victim of political persecution.

 The Sun Malaysia