Brazilian Presidential Candidate Flávio Bolsonaro Proposes Prison Expansion Following Meeting with El Salvador Minister

Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro announced plans to create half a million new prison spaces to increase the number of incarcerated individuals in Brazil. The announcement followed a meeting on Sunday with Gustavo Villatoro, the Minister of Justice and Public Security of El Salvador. Bolsonaro stated that Brazil currently has too few prisoners because legislation is too lax, and he proposed a minimum eight year sentence for cell phone theft.

Bolsonaro praised the security model of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, describing it as an effective restoration of sovereignty and public security. He proposed creating a dedicated Ministry of Public Security to manage intelligence and coordination between state and municipal police forces. Both reports note that while Bukele's methods have reduced homicide rates, they have drawn criticism from human rights groups for relying on state of emergency measures and detaining thousands without warrants.

During a rally in Rio de Janeiro, Bolsonaro also addressed economic and labor issues. He promised to reduce public spending through the use of artificial intelligence and criticized the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for corruption and high interest rates. Regarding labor, Bolsonaro proposed a system where workers can choose their own weekly work hours and schedules as an alternative to a proposed constitutional amendment to end the 6x1 work scale.

Both sources identify the upcoming election as a contest between Bolsonaro and President Lula. While the center-right framing focuses on the candidate's policy proposals and the security model, the reports acknowledge the controversy surrounding the human rights record of the El Salvadoran government.