Senator Flávio Bolsonaro formally launched his campaign for the Brazilian presidency Saturday, accepting the Liberal Party’s nomination at a convention in São Paulo in front of a crowd of roughly 500 supporters waving green-and-yellow flags. The 45-year-old senator, eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, is set to challenge President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October — a rematch, of sorts, between the political movement Lula represents and the one his father built before being sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in a plot to overturn the 2022 election.

“Here is Bolsonaro’s blood,” the younger Bolsonaro told the crowd, framing his candidacy as a continuation of his father’s movement rather than a break from it. Jair Bolsonaro, currently under house arrest, was unable to attend in person, but an AI-generated video message from the elder Bolsonaro played for supporters — a striking, unmistakably modern touch on what was otherwise a very traditional show of political force.

A Global Cast of Allies

The convention doubled as a showcase of the international right’s growing coordination. Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei flew in the night before and appeared on stage, delivering a pointed message aimed squarely at Lula’s government. “We will continue offering our testimony everywhere against the lies of socialism,” Milei told the crowd — a message that landed as much for Argentine audiences watching the reforms of Milei’s own government as it did for Brazilians weighing their options in October.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a pre-recorded video address of support as well, adding an international dimension that Bolsonaro’s team is clearly hoping will translate into momentum — and perhaps, eventually, into more direct backing from figures in the Trump administration, which several reports suggest the campaign is now actively courting.

Not Without Turbulence

None of this comes easily. Bolsonaro’s path to Saturday’s launch was anything but smooth. His campaign has weathered a string of setbacks in recent months — including new tariffs imposed on Brazil by the Trump administration itself, a public falling-out with his stepmother, former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, over comments he made about her political judgment, and scrutiny tied to his financial dealings with a controversial banker. Michelle, an influential voice with evangelical and female voters, was a notable absence from the convention in person, though she appeared briefly by video to offer her blessing after the two publicly reconciled earlier in the week.