Eduardo Bolsonaro backs deputy Zanatta for vice president on brother's ticket

Former federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro has publicly backed federal deputy Júlia Zanatta to be the vice-presidential candidate on the ticket with his brother, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Eduardo Bolsonaro posted an image of Zanatta and Flávio embracing on social media, stating that Zanatta is loyal and "up to the task." He also suggested that criticism from the left further validates her as a good choice.

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is loyal and would be "up to the task."

Zanatta, first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2022 with over 111,000 votes, has had a notable tenure marked by her involvement in a protest by Bolsonaro supporters in August 2025. Following the house arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Zanatta brought her then-4-month-old daughter to join a crowd blocking the speaker of the house, Arthur Lira, from accessing the presidency. This action drew criticism, with the president of the São Paulo OAB's Child and Adolescent Defense Commission calling the child "used as an object" and suggesting a violation of the Child and Adolescent Statute.

The Chamber's corregidor suggested a six-month suspension for Zanatta and others involved, while the Chamber's corregidor proposed a written censure. The case is still ongoing. Zanatta has also had direct confrontations with left-wing lawmakers. She and deputy Talíria Petrone (PSOL-RJ) argued during a session discussing the arrest of deputy Chiquinho Brazão, convicted of ordering the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco. Zanatta accused opponents of using Marielle's death for political gain, prompting Petrone to retort that Zanatta should "wash her mouth" before speaking of the councilwoman.

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used as an object

The push for a female vice-presidential candidate on Flávio Bolsonaro's ticket is gaining traction among allies, partly due to the senator's perceived weakness among female voters. A recent Genial/Quaest poll indicated that while Lula leads Flávio by 10 percentage points among all voters, the gap widens to 17 points among women. Senator Tereza Cristina (PP-MS), a former minister of agriculture under Bolsonaro, is also being considered. PL party president Valdemar da Costa Neto and PP president Ciro Nogueira have publicly supported Cristina's potential candidacy.

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wash her mouth