Bolsonarism tries to grow in the Northeast amid raids – 04/16/2023 – Politics

Defeated in disputes for state governments in the Northeast last year, allies of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) aim at the ex-president’s spoils of votes and try to establish themselves as leaders of the conservative right in their states.

The movement is mainly led by former ministers of the Bolsonaro government, who work to consolidate electoral bases and gain capillarity outside the large urban centers.

Names such as senator Rogério Marinho (RN), former ministers João Roma (BA) and Gilson Machado (PE), and the mayor of Maceió, João Henrique Caldas (AL), work to structure the local directories of the PL with the objective paving candidacies for the 2024 and 2026 elections.

The challenge is not small. In 2022, the states of the Northeast gave President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) a front of 12.5 million votes in the second round against Bolsonaro, decisive for the PT’s victory.

At the same time, the conservative field in the Northeast is facing internal disputes with clashes between the more radical “root Bolsonarism”, the neobolsonarists, in addition to the historical cadres of the PL.

Dissidence is another problem: PL mayors are starting to migrate to parties allied with Lula, just as state deputies from the party have become part of the allied base of left-wing governors.

The former president follows the movements and keeps the Northeast on his radar. After returning to Brazil at the end of March, he signaled that he wants to visit the region where he had his worst performance at the polls.

Allies extol works such as the transposition of the São Francisco River, whose works reached 90% progress in previous governments, and programs such as Auxílio Brasil, which was once again replaced by Bolsa Família.

“We have an obligation to defend Bolsonaro’s legacy in the Northeast”, says Marcelo Queiroga, from Paraíba and former Minister of Health.

One of the main challenges of Bolsonarism is to transform the diffuse support of a portion of the electorate for the former president into an organized party force, especially in the small northeastern municipalities.

The initial focus is on the municipal elections, considered crucial to strengthen the bases and create more capillarity for the 2026 dispute, when the Presidency, governments and Congress will be at stake.

“It is natural that there are disputes for party spaces and candidacies. But this is not the path that the PL intends to follow. We want to unite forces, not discuss who is more authentic or who should have a leading role”, evaluates João Roma, former minister da Cidadania and president of the PL in Bahia.

Defeated in the dispute for the government of Bahia, he is quoted to run for Mayor of Salvador, but admits a possible composition with mayor Bruno Reis (União Brasil), leaving aside the raids with his former political godfather ACM Neto.

At the same time, he started a routine of trips to the interior of the state to articulate alliances with politicians aligned with Bolsonaro. In interviews, he leaves customs guidelines in the background and has focused on topics such as taxes, public safety and agribusiness.

But he faces dissent in the party. Federal deputy João Carlos Bacelar (PL) voted with the base in favor of the Transition PEC and has signaled support for President Lula.

In the Legislative Assembly, only 2 of the 4 PL deputies oppose Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues (PT). Deputy Vitor Azevedo, linked to the former minister, maintains bridges with the PT government. Deputy Raimundinho of the JR (PL) went further and became deputy leader of the majority.

There are also casualties in the municipalities. In January, the mayor of the city of Planaltino (320 km from Salvador), Ronaldo Lisboa da Silva, switched from the PL to the PT.

Roma says that dissent generates discomfort, but rules out punishment: “We are not going to turn the party into a court. Every parliamentarian owes satisfaction to his voter.”

The situation is similar in Ceará, where members of the PL assumed positions in the City Hall of Fortaleza at the invitation of Mayor José Sarto (PDT), an ally of the brothers Cid and Ciro Gomes. Among them is Raimundo Gomes de Matos, who was a candidate for lieutenant governor for the PL in 2022.

In Pernambuco, the dispute between Bolsonaristas revolves around negotiations for municipal elections. Gilson Machado, former Minister of Tourism and defeated for the Senate last year, wants to take advantage of the political capital he has gained to run for Mayor of Recife.

Known for his proximity to Bolsonaro, which included playing the accordion in the lives of the then president, Machado uses personal relationships to pave the way for his candidacy. Last week, he received the support of federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), son of the former president.

But he has a strong opponent in the internal dispute: André Ferreira (PL), the most voted federal deputy in Pernambuco. He is the brother of Anderson Ferreira, a defeated gubernatorial candidate who got close to governor Raquel Lyra (PSDB) and recommended positions in state management.

Outside the party, other names from the Bolsonarist field are also active, such as federal deputy Clarissa Tércio (PP).

There is also an ongoing dispute in Paraíba, where two of the main cadres of Bolsonarism want to dispute the Prefecture of João Pessoa: radio broadcaster Nilvan Ferreira and state deputy Walber Virgolino, both from the PL.

The numbers for 2022 cheer up the former president’s troop of allies, who lost to Lula in the capital of Paraíba by 925 votes. In the first round, Nilvan Ferreira was the most voted candidate for government in the city, but he finished third in the sum of the state’s votes.

Nilvan preaches unity: “Our division means the strengthening of the left. We need to focus on a profound process of reorganizing our field”.

In the state, the PL is led by federal deputy Wellington Roberto, who does not have a trajectory in the root Bolsonarism. He was one of the ten deputies from the acronym who accompanied Lula’s base and voted in favor of the Transition PEC.

Bolsonarism is also working to gain momentum in Alagoas and Rio Grande do Norte, two states where the acronym is on the way to having competitive candidacies for the government in 2026.

In Alagoas, the party was reinforced by the mayor of Maceió João Henrique Caldas, known as JHC, who left the PSB for the PL during last year’s election campaign. If he is re-elected next year, he is a virtual candidate for the government of Alagoas.

In Rio Grande do Norte, Senator Rogério Marinho (PL) should run to succeed Governor Fátima Bezerra (PT). He was the only PL candidate to win a majority race in the Northeast in 2022 and became leader of the opposition to Lula in Congress.

In other states, on the other hand, there is an ebb of political leaders linked to Bolsonarism. This is the case in Maranhão, where the defeated government candidate Lahesio Bonfim joined the Novo party in a ceremony with the participation of Romeu Zema, governor of Minas and potential candidate for the Planalto.