Michelle Bolsonaro may skip campaign and Senate run, says PL chief

Michelle Bolsonaro, wife of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, appears to be distancing herself from her husband's political aspirations, according to the national president of the Liberal Party (PL), Valdemar Costa Neto.

Costa Neto stated on Thursday that Michelle Bolsonaro "seems" not to want to participate in the presidential campaign of her husband, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ). He further suggested that she might also abandon her bid for a Senate seat in the upcoming elections.

"The situation is resolved," Costa Neto told Rádio Gaúcha, adding that Flávio Bolsonaro is continuing with his campaign and Michelle has stepped down from her role as president of PL Mulher (PL Women). He minimized the possibility of her involvement, saying, "It seems, I feel, that she does not want to participate."

Costa Neto acknowledged Michelle's departure from the party leadership as a "loss," praising her charisma and work with PL Mulher. However, he criticized her for sharing a video from former Rio governor Anthony Garotinho that alluded to Flávio Bolsonaro's alleged participation in parties hosted by Banco Master founder Daniel Vorcaro. Costa Neto dismissed Garotinho's credibility.

Recent polling indicates that the public perceives the disagreement between Michelle and Flávio Bolsonaro as potentially damaging to his presidential candidacy. A poll by Atlas/Bloomberg found that 37.8% of voters believe the dispute significantly weakens his campaign, while another 26.3% think it harms it somewhat. Costa Neto, however, expressed confidence that no further compromising information would emerge regarding Flávio's dealings with Vorcaro.