Caiado calls Flavio Bolsonaro's campaign fragile after reading father's letter

Ronaldo Caiado, the PSD pre‑presidential candidate, said Flavio Bolsonaro’s live reading of a handwritten letter from his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, showed “extreme fragility” in the senator’s campaign. Caiado argued that voters need a president who can act independently, warning that reliance on a parental endorsement would be a liability in crises such as those involving Venezuela, Bolivia or Argentina.

The incident prompted legal action: STF minister Alexandre de Moraes suspended Flavio’s visits to his father for 90 days, citing a breach of the judge‑imposed restrictions on Jair Bolsonaro’s use of media and possible electoral propaganda. Jurist Fernando Hideo labeled the letter a potential case of early electoral propaganda, while deputy Lindbergh Farias accused Flavio of knowingly using the letter to sidestep the restrictions. Monitoring data showed Caiado’s attacks on Flavio raised his own social‑media mentions dramatically, while the controversy fueled broader debate over candidate autonomy in Brazil’s 2026 presidential race.