Salles says Bolsonaro family demands absolute obedience, dividing the right

Federal Deputy Ricardo Salles, a vocal critic of President Lula, attributes the former president's polling lead over Flávio Bolsonaro to missteps by the Bolsonaro campaign. Salles specifically pointed to the relationship between Flávio Bolsonaro and Daniel Vorcaro of Banco Master as a contributing factor.

Salles argues that internal conflicts within the Bolsonaro family, notably the public disputes between Flávio Bolsonaro and his stepmother, former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, are weakening the right-wing political movement. He also contends that the political group associated with Carlos and Eduardo Bolsonaro is demanding "absolute obedience" from allies, alienating potential supporters.

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If they want to have two candidates, André should withdraw. I will resist.

As a pre-candidate for the Senate in São Paulo, Salles is navigating a complex political landscape. Despite his party, Novo, supporting the re-election of Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, Salles is running independently. He faces competition from other right-wing candidates, including Guilherme Derrite and André do Prado, for two Senate seats. Salles has publicly clashed with André do Prado, accusing him of feigning right-wing ideology and urging him to withdraw from the race.

Salles, who previously served as Bolsonaro's Environment Minister and was known for his controversial "passar a boiada" remark, is determined to pursue his Senate bid. He stated that he launched his candidacy before others and possesses a more established history on the right than his competitors. He also mentioned that Governor Tarcísio has not directly asked him to withdraw, though others have suggested he run for federal deputy instead.

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He supported Dilma Rousseff and, in the 2022 election, sided with Rodrigo Garcia against Tarcísio in the first round. He joined the PT to get elected mayor.