Bolsonaro reiterates support for Ramagem in video after audio released by Moraes
Former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) will take part in two pre-campaign meetings in Rio de Janeiro with federal deputy Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ), former head of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) in the Bolsonaro administration and a pre-candidate for the mayor of the capital city, on Thursday, 18, and Friday, 19. Bolsonaro recorded a video with Ramagem to inform about the upcoming events.
“Hello, friends from Rio de Janeiro. This coming Thursday, at 10:30 am, together with Ramagem, we will be at Praça Saens Peña, in Tijuca, to chat with you about our municipality. The next day, at the same time, at 10:30 am, at Calçadão de Campo Grande, also discussing our issues, our municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Come join us,” says Bolsonaro in the recording alongside Ramagem.
The reaffirmation of support for Ramagem was announced by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) on social media this Wednesday, 17, two days after Minister Alexandre de Moraes from the Supreme Federal Court (STF) made public the audio of a meeting where the former president, General Augusto Heleno (then Chief of the Institutional Security Office), and the former head of Abin discuss a plan to annul the investigation of the “rachadinhas” – a probe that tightened the grip on Flávio, the eldest son of the former Chief Executive.
The video support puts an end to speculations about a possible candidate change in the race for the mayor of Rio in this year’s elections and is considered a victory for Flávio, the main orchestrator of Ramagem’s campaign.
The senator is seen as the link between Ramagem and Bolsonaro and the main supporter of the ally’s candidacy. As reported by Estadão, the former president was upset with Ramagem after learning that the Federal Police had found the recording of the meeting, but the PL intended to maintain Ramagem’s candidacy even with the progress of investigations into an alleged illegal espionage scheme at Abin.
Allies of the former Chief Executive and members of the party already considered Ramagem’s candidacy as “irreversible”. A loyal ally of the Bolsonaro clan in Rio de Janeiro, the political cradle of Bolsonarism, Ramagem has yet to gain momentum as a pre-candidate.
Three months before the municipal elections, the current mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes (PSD), leads with 53% of the voting intentions in a Datafolha survey released on July 5. Ramagem follows with 9% – a difference of 44 percentage points.