Bolsonaro on TSE: ‘I’m in the ICU, I haven’t died yet’ – 07/03/2023 – Politics

Former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) compared his ineligibility, declared by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) last Friday (30), with being in the ICU, and said he has not yet died politically.

The statement was given during an interview with Jovem Pan, this Monday (3).

“I’m in the ICU, I haven’t died yet. [Não é justo] Someone already wants to share my estate,” Bolsonaro said.

“What do I see here [em] national names, there is still no name for knowing the whole of Brazil to do what I did over these four years”, he added, referring to a potential successor in 2026.

He also said that he helped create new leadership, however. He cited the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), and that of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema (Novo), quoted as successors on the right.

“Other good names have appeared, but they still don’t have that stamp to tell all of Brazil that we are together in 2026. I hope a little more”, he added.

In addition to the two names mentioned by the president himself, there are at least two more mentioned by allies: Senator Tereza Cristina (PP-MT) and the governor of Paraná, Ratinho Jr. (PSD).

The former chief executive also said that there is, in the São Paulo municipal election, a tendency to support him and his party, PL, for the current mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB).

“If there’s a candidate of ours, with a chance of winning, we’ll go with him. So far, he hasn’t shown up with all the respect I have for Ricardo Salles. Nowadays, there’s a tendency to stick with Ricardo Nunes. The hammer hasn’t been beaten”, stated.

During the interview, Bolsonaro also said he was not afraid of being arrested, “only if it was based on arbitrariness”. But then he went on to give an example of what would be the arbitrariness that already occurs in Brazil.

Among the main ones, he cited the arrests of coup leaders who destroyed the headquarters of the three powers on January 8. Bolsonaro used to say that they were elderly people with “the Bible under their arms and the flag on their backs”.

He also listed the arrests of his three main assistants: Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, BOPE captain Max Guilherme de Moura and reserve captain Sérgio Cordeiro. Cid will testify at the PF (Federal Police) on Tuesday (4).

Bolsonaro also said that the search and seizure carried out by the PF at his home, as part of the operation that arrested his assistants, took place not to look for a vaccine card, but to get his phone.

The TSE decided, last week, to declare the former president ineligible until 2030. The judgment took place six months after his departure from office and focuses on a lawsuit filed by the PDT against the ticket due to the meeting with the ambassadors.

Allies of the former president say that the TSE’s decision is a shot in the foot from a political point of view and guarantees him the spotlight for years to come.

In general terms, they treat the issue as injustice and emphasize that he will continue with the role of leader of the right.

Those around the former president classify the trial as political, but were already waiting for the score of the electoral court – ministers Raul Araújo and Kassio Nunes Marques were in favor of the former president.

Its allies say they believe, however, that voters are aware that there is excessive judicial activism and that this should have repercussions on votes from now on. For them, the TSE acted to remove Bolsonaro from the electoral dispute, but the voter will remain close to him.

There is also an assessment that a judgment like this is difficult for the population to understand. It is very difficult to translate the reasons for his impeachment, so that, simply put, the question remains: “Why can’t I vote for Bolsonaro?” The ex-president’s narrative would be easier to understand.