The Bolsonaro Family Business: How a National Brand Is Being Used to Secure Power in Brazil’s South

The Bolsonaro family’s bid for power in Brazil’s south is built around a carefully constructed narrative, one that relies on the national brand of their father’s presidency to win over voters. By leveraging their family name, they’re able to tap into a deep well of conservative sentiment in Santa Catarina, where nearly 70 percent voted for Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 presidential elections.

This approach raises questions about the role of charisma and personal connections in Brazilian politics. While Flavio Bolsonaro is polling neck and neck with incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, his brother Carlos takes a back seat, preferring to speak directly to supporters over the phone rather than taking center stage at campaign rallies.

The Strategic Shift South

In recent years, the Bolsonaros have made a strategic decision to focus their efforts on the southern states of Brazil. Joao Feres, a political scientist specializing in Bolsonarism, notes that this shift is driven by a desire to bank on a national brand: candidates with no real local roots who rely on the Bolsonaro name to compensate for their lack of connection to the region.

This emphasis on a conservative south made up of large agricultural estates that identify with traditional values is also telling. The campaign is being organized around a carefully chosen political community, one that rejects left-wing social policies and has been won over by the Bolsonaros’ message of hard work and entrepreneurship.

A Tale of Two Brothers

Carlos Bolsonaro’s decision to parachute into Santa Catarina just a few months ago highlights the challenges faced by outsiders trying to win elections in the region. Despite his Rio de Janeiro roots, he’s relying on his family name to help him secure a senate seat that would be far harder to win in the tourist capital.

Jair Renan Bolsonaro, the youngest son in the running, is more at home in Balneário Camboriú, an hour’s drive from the capital of Santa Catarina. Having come to study law at the Avantis University Centre and been elected as a councillor with a record number of votes three years ago, he’s built a reputation for speaking to young people.

The Implications

The Bolsonaro family business is being used to promote a particular set of values: ones that are deeply rooted in conservative sentiment and traditional Brazilian culture. By relying on their family name, the Bolsonaros are able to bypass local connections and focus on spreading their message nationally.

This raises questions about the role of institutions in Brazilian politics. As Felipe Pereira notes, the campaign strategy employed by Jair Renan is built around staying silent in the face of mainstream media and pouring everything out on social media. This approach fosters a relationship of mistrust towards institutions among Bolsonarist grassroots supporters.

As the electoral landscape in Brazil continues to shift, it will be fascinating to see how the Bolsonaro family business evolves. Will they continue to rely on their national brand to win over voters, or will they attempt to build more local connections? The story of the Bolsonaros will continue to shape the country’s electoral landscape.

As Jair Renan Bolsonaro says with a smile, “If my father can be a little bit with us through his sons, what a chance!” For now, it seems that this national brand is still very much alive and kicking – but only time will tell if it will continue to propel the Bolsonaros towards power.