Flávio Bolsonaro Vows Return to Barretos Festival as President in 2027

Presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro spoke at the Festa do Peão de Barretos on Saturday, stating that he will return to the event in 2027 as president alongside his father, Jair Bolsonaro. The former president is currently under house arrest following a Supreme Federal Court sentence of 27 years and 3 months for an attempted coup d'état to reverse the 2022 election results. During a speech of less than three minutes, Flávio Bolsonaro defended the agribusiness sector, calling it the heart of Brazil and asserting that the industry would return to being a source of global pride. He was accompanied by São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, who is running for reelection. The crowd, which filled a stadium with a capacity of 55,000, cheered the candidate and shouted slogans calling for the imprisonment of President Lula. Earlier that day, Flávio Bolsonaro participated in a campaign event for Douglas Ruas for the government of Rio de Janeiro. According to a Datafolha poll released Friday, Lula leads the first round of the presidential race with 39 percent, followed by Flávio Bolsonaro at 33 percent. In a second round scenario, Lula leads with 47 percent against 43 percent for Flávio Bolsonaro. Other candidates include Ronaldo Caiado at 5 percent, Renan Santos at 4 percent, and Romeu Zema at 3 percent. The event highlighted the ongoing connection between right wing politics and the agribusiness world. Historically, Jair Bolsonaro was a frequent presence at the festival, notably signing a decree in 2019 that eased regulations for such events and limited the influence of animal protection groups. President Lula was also invited to the event by the organizing association, Os Independentes, during a visit in May to announce expanded funding for cancer treatments.