Michelle Bolsonaro tries to quell backlash after praising Lula's education program

Former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro has issued a new statement on social media to address the backlash following her praise for a national bilingual education program for the deaf, launched by the current Lula administration. Bolsonaro had called the program a "dream come true" and congratulated the deaf community.

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above any ideology or party

In her latest post, she emphasized that advocating for people with disabilities is a cause that stands "above any ideology or party." She pointed to the sanction of the Amália Barros Law by Jair Bolsonaro as an example, noting that it was a bill from a PT parliamentarian that recognized monocular vision as a disability. According to her, her husband evaluated the merit of the proposal regardless of its origin.

Bolsonaro also claimed that the bilingual education policy for the deaf was developed during the Bolsonaro government but faced delays due to a lawsuit, preventing its implementation before the end of their term. She concluded by stating that the authorship of the policy is less important than its beneficiaries and reiterated her congratulations to the deaf community.

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the merit of the proposal regardless of who presented it

The former first lady's publication is a direct response to criticism from parts of the Bolsonaro base. Following her initial praise, parliamentarians and leaders within the Liberal Party (PL) shared critical posts, including manipulated images associating her with the PT and accusations of betrayal. This episode exacerbates an ongoing crisis within the PL, where Michelle had recently announced her departure from leading the PL Mulher (PL Women's wing) after a public disagreement with her stepson, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, whom she accused of disrespect during a phone call. Flávio later issued a public apology.

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a dream come true