Yesterday, July 25, 2026, the Liberal Party (PL) held its national convention in São Paulo to formally designate Senator Flávio Bolsonaro as the Brazilian presidential candidate.
Argentine President Javier Milei was the guest of honor, an unprecedented fact: a sitting foreign head of state coming to campaign at a Brazilian party convention.
Speaking before thousands of activists, punctuated by the dissemination of an artificial intelligence-generated video of Jair Bolsonaro, and concluded by a scene in which the Argentine president dances with the candidate while loudly singing his anthem Yo soy un león, the speech, whose official Portuguese version was released by the Argentine presidency, immediately sparked a crisis: the Argentine president calls Lula a “prisoner” and the judge Alexandre de Moraes a “calculating bald vermin.” Edinho Silva, president of the Workers’ Party, deemed these remarks “unacceptable,” while Edson Fachin, president of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), denounced expressions “incompatible with civil courtesy between States.”
This speech comes in an extraordinary domestic context. On September 11, 2025, Bolsonaro was sentenced by the STF to 27 years and 3 months in prison for attempted coup d’état, after his 2022 defeat, and was incarcerated in November of that year. He was placed under “humanitarian” house arrest at the end of March 2026 due to health reasons. Ineligible until 2030, he designated his elder son, Flávio, a Rio de Janeiro senator, as his presidential candidate. On July 17, eight days before the convention, Judge Moraes kept the house arrest in place but barred the former president from any visits and any political activity until the end of the election.
Lula, now 80, is seeking a fourth term. According to July polls, he would lead in the first round, with a 6–12 point gap over Flávio Bolsonaro (40% vs. 28% for Quaest; 46.3% vs. 36.6% for AtlasIntel), but the gap would narrow to 3–8 points in the second round. The first round is scheduled for October 4, 2026, and the second for October 25.
This radical discourse cannot be understood without considering the shift to the right and the far right across Latin America since Milei’s victory in December 2023: re-election of Daniel Noboa in Ecuador in April 2025, Rodrigo Paz’s victory in Bolivia in October 2025, which ends two decades of MAS dominance; election of José Antonio Kast in Chile in December 2025 (inaugurated March 2026), Keiko Fujimori in Peru in June 2026 (proclaimed July 3), and Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia in June 2026, who will succeed Gustavo Petro on August 7. It is this domino effect—“Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and, hopefully, Brazil in October”—that Milei chants, making Lula one of the last left-wing leaders on the continent and the Brazilian vote the last major battle of this sequence.
Add to this the “Trump effect”: while the American administration has supported Argentina, including economically, since July 2025, Washington is imposing 50% tariffs on Brazil explicitly tied to Bolsonaro’s trial, described as a “witch hunt,” along with Magnitsky sanctions against Moraes. This overt intervention by the Bolsonaroist camp yields ambivalent effects: so far, it has mainly fed Lula’s patriotic narrative, while Milei, the closest ally of Trump in the region, embodies in São Paulo this right-wing international movement that his rhetoric calls to complete.
Hello everyone.
I would first like to thank the Liberal Party authorities and, in particular, Flávio Bolsonaro for inviting me to participate in this event so important on the eve of Brazil’s elections.
It is a great pleasure for me to be in this country, among those who share my passion for the ideals of freedom, and it holds particular significance in times like ours, when a nation is torn between liberation and the perpetuation of its subjugation to the left. That is why it is important that we are clear about the terms of this battle and what is at stake, because the ballot in the near term will undoubtedly have ramifications for decades to come. You must choose not only for yourselves, but for future generations, for a history whose verdict will come sooner or later and will not forgive.
Long live freedom! Long live freedom, damn it! I want to share with you a few words that, God willing, will help tilt the balance toward good, encouraging you to relentlessly pursue the change you desire. We will save the battle cry of freedom for the end, so we can pour all we have into the effort.
There are a few things I would like to share with you: since I became President of the Argentine Republic, I have stressed one idea in particular. We, Argentines, are the prophets of a dystopian future. We have lived the consequences of following the path of socialism to its ultimate conclusions, and we have seen how our nation ceased to be a world power and was plunged into poverty by shitty leftists.
Because we suffered, we do not want others to suffer. That is why a part of our mission as government is to warn other nations so they can change course in time and avoid social and economic tragedies like Argentina’s, or even worse. We have done so through visits to other countries, in forums and international organizations, and whenever the opportunity presented itself.
And we will continue to do so; we will continue to bear our testimony everywhere against the lies of socialism. When we came to power, our country was headed toward a new hyperinflation, the third in its history. Kirchnerism — the Argentine version of the “prisoner,” isn’t it? — had consumed nearly all resources to sustain a political and economic model based on special interests.
A system in contradiction with the elementary principles of natural law and with the most fundamental economic principles. In truth, it contradicted reality itself, and that led us to a terminal crisis, probably the worst we have ever known. Argentines had been seduced by the siren song of 21st-century socialism.
They had been made to believe, through lavish propaganda, that the budget deficit didn’t matter, or even that it was beneficial. That there were endless regulations to protect us, that the State could substitute for the entrepreneurial spirit of an entire nation, that wealth could be distributed before it was even created.
All these false promises ended in the same way: more poverty, a higher budget deficit, more inflation, and countless laws and regulations that complicate the lives of millions of people.
Thus, to finance an insatiable tax system, they first devoured private savings and, when that was not enough, they devoured monetary stability by funding the budget deficit with printing presses. I’m talking about a government that printed the equivalent of 13% of GDP in a single year to try to win an election, boasting on social media about running the printing press, while a neighbor meddled in Argentine politics to try to skew history in favor of shitty leftists. I mean the same government that imprisons opponents simply because they are opponents.
And to justify these incursions into private property, they destroyed the institutions that supported it. Anticipating sharp criticism from our Western allies for having taken this self-destructive path, they broke with Argentina’s stance and aligned us with dictatorships and terrorists across the world. They left us poor and alone in a world that changes every day at a pace that accelerates, where every day lost under the old model left us ever further behind. They condemned us to ruin simply to avoid renouncing their privileged positions.
The families and businesses could no longer plan for the future; the young people were convinced that the only life project was to emigrate or resign themselves to poverty. Inflation shaped the psychology of our fellow citizens, forcing them to live with ever-shorter time horizons, sacrificing long-term prospects in favor of daily survival. In effect, they pushed Argentines toward rising levels of barbarism and uncertainty.
That is the calamity of the legacy they left us: making an entire generation believe that the future lay elsewhere, or simply did not exist. And the reason for all this is simple: it is not about personal decisions but about the incentives that arise when one tries to go against the obvious truths of human nature in the name of power; because when one is in contradiction with the elementary principles of humanity, one fights against reality itself and it is necessary to devise new solutions every day so that reality does not swallow you whole. That is why the path to socialism is always and everywhere the path to totalitarianism: the socialist must use all means at their disposal to deny a reality that proves their ideas false, harmful, and destructive to any nation, and they use all coercive instruments of the State for that purpose. I believe you are aware of this, because this kind of thing happens here.
In a manner very similar to the Greek myth of Procrustean bed, the left seeks extreme conformity to a dehumanizing system that operates under a regime of extreme and illusory equality; in other words, a situation in which the individual must disarticulate to fit into the mold, like the guests in that Greek myth who were stretched or mutilated to fit the host’s needs. What I mean is that Brazil has not yet experienced the most disastrous and profound consequences of this model, but it could if it does not change course.
We count on you, Flávio, to stop this socialist nonsense! The socialism of the 21st century has taken deep roots in this country, with the infamous São Paulo Forum, founded by Lula and Fidel Castro, serving as a vast transnational network for spreading communism across the continent.
The political and theoretical line remains the same; simply, in each country they operate under the constraints specific to their territories, leaders, and opposition. In other words, these are various manifestations of a universal and timeless phenomenon. A corruption that has existed since the dawn of humanity, since Cain killed his brother Abel. It is envy and resentment raised to a philosophy, masked under the banner of equality and solidarity.
And this leads us to something that goes beyond theft as a political system. It leads to theft as a political system. That is why there is no need to be surprised to always see socialists beside thieves: because socialists are thieves.
And as I said earlier, this worldview does not tolerate those who govern their nations according to the ideals of freedom and who serve as mirrors reflecting their lies. In other words, we prove to them every day that their system is not only ineffective, but deeply unjust. That is why their despair grows day by day.
They cannot allow their communities to live prosperous and free lives and no longer need the largesse of politics, nor tolerate someone by their side who enjoys the fruits of human freedom. That is why Latin American socialism is eradicated election after election. Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and—hopefully—in October, Brazil as well, be liberal.
Because the counterexamples are powerful, and the change that Argentina is experiencing is being felt regionally, just as other nations around the world are waking up. Slowly, the veil is lifting. Yet, this ideology still persists in Brazil, thanks to one of its leading long-time promoters and representatives.
And for this reason, faced with isolation and threat, they have deepened their populist model. We have witnessed what socialism is capable of when it is cornered. We know what we are talking about; when their privileges are at stake, there is nothing they are not willing to do. And the future of all Brazilians will suffer. So do not let your future be stolen by socialist thieves.
Their strategy is the same everywhere: destroy public finances to win elections, promising solutions as easy and artificial as they are superficial. A strategy we know firsthand and which we have called the “Argent Plan.” The plan is simple: more spending financed by more debt, higher taxes or, worse, more monetary issuance and more inflation. With the consequences for the future: the perfect recipe for disaster. This modus operandi is the same across the region: to provoke an economic imbalance in order to, in the short term, retain votes to avoid losing power in the next elections.
Then, when they lose, the right is expected to solve all these problems, while the left that caused them shirks responsibility. If they win, they win. And if they lose, they also win.
There is no shortage of examples. One only has to look at what is happening in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Colombia. Such was the tragedy of 21st-century socialism. It never bequeathed to its successors a country ready for sustained growth; on the contrary, it always imposed the same heavy burden: an obese State, a ruined economy, a weak currency, and a society exhausted from serving as a laboratory for the socialist experiment. But when a movement arises to clean up that disaster, those who caused it are precisely the ones who criticize the cost of the recovery. It is time, therefore, to sharpen the shears and put an end to the grand looting carried out by all these socialist criminals!
Last year, before the midterm elections in Argentina, Congress reached extremes such as seven attempted impeachment procedures and the passage of various bills aimed at bankrupting the Treasury and destroying the budget balance. They tried, at all costs, to provoke a coup by sowing market panic and triggering a massive run on the dollar. When it comes to hanging onto power or recovering lost privileges, they really know no limits.
Thus, Brazil is headed today toward a debt crisis resulting from Lula’s inability to implement the necessary budgetary adjustments, and he is now worsening the situation to increase his chances of victory. In other words, extravagant spending inevitably comes at a price—and let us hope the one who caused it pays the price by losing in October’s vote!
He [Lula] has returned to power radicalized, drawing on the disaster-laden playbook written in Argentina by Kirchnerism. If, in Argentina, we have the economic factor that we call the “Kirchner risk,” here in Brazil you now have the “Lula risk,” and that is clearly reflected in the stock market.
But why is Lula threatened? Because there is someone — as happened in Argentina — who is ready to stand up and become the voice of that silent majority that has already endured abuse. I am talking about Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of my great friend, former president Jair Bolsonaro!
To make matters worse, this calculating bald vermin did not allow me to visit my friend unjustly imprisoned.
I know that Lula, when he was in prison, was constantly receiving foreign leaders, including the odious former Argentine president Alberto Fernández.
This is nothing less than a striking demonstration of the injustice of his incarceration and of his clearly vengeful nature. Dear Jair, I send you from afar all my affection, knowing that what the bureaucrats prevent today will soon become a reality, and we will again embrace our dear Jair Bolsonaro! That is why I believe Flávio is the person capable of stopping Lula and leading real change for all Brazilians.
Today, Brazil can join the regional transformation we have witnessed in recent years, a transformation that will make Latin America a synonym for progress, and not misery romanticized under the robes of magical realism.
I firmly believe that no one else is capable of facing the risk that Lula represents for Brazil, a risk hanging over the country like a Damoclean sword. And I know that no one else has the strength to confront the criminal organizations and drug cartels that hold hostage so many neighborhoods, communities, and even entire cities.
Only someone with a will of iron can take on this challenge, because delivering such a battle is not easy — and for that, I have full faith in my friend Flávio Bolsonaro! We have already tested appeasement toward the judicial system, patience and mercy toward criminals, and all these socialist strategies have failed. That is why Brazilians already know there is only one effective formula to eradicate crime: those who commit crimes pay for them!
We have already shown in Argentina that all of this is possible through firmness. We have demonstrated that crime can be reduced and public order restored if the grip is firm and criminals are punished. We have shown that the State can be drastically slimmed down without citizens losing services, because populism fills it with inefficient civil servants. And since we achieved this in Argentina, I am convinced that Brazil will be able to rise again, because that is what Flávio represents!
By choosing the ruthlessness of freedom, you will once again see prosperity worthy of Brazil! And when you finally begin to recover, you will know it for sure, because, one by one, the great names of international progressivism will launch their smear campaigns. Those who never paid you much attention while you were sinking slowly into decadence will suddenly surge en masse to criticize all your failures, real or imagined, as soon as you begin to assert yourself.
You saw it four years ago, during the last presidential election, and you will see it again. Get ready, because the leftists have no qualms about dirty play. Get ready for a great battle.
We Argentines have been living this in our flesh for a long time. They preferred us when we were the bright pupils of progressivism. When we were the experimental laboratories of their delirious policies. And when our government adopted models of material and spiritual decadence, they wanted us to accept without discussion what their local agents said about us. They wanted us to be ashamed of our history and to throw our heroes in the trash.
They wanted us to stay at the forefront of the worst of the worst. All of this operation aims to break the self-esteem of our people, to make them more docile to the prescriptions of progressivism. A people convinced of the injustice of its past ends up believing it needs these false priests of a cruel religion to redeem it.
They transform guilt into a political tool. They use shame as a instrument of domination. Those from inside as well as those from outside, all progressives share the same project: they do not want representatives of a dignified misery to be relegated to the role of insignificant and unproud pets in a world order we did not choose.
They do not want Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, or any country in the Americas to be great, strong, or prosperous.
And I call them “progressives” because this systematic attack on Argentina and Argentines — the same one Brazil suffers when it begins to rise — does not come from conservatives, classical liberals, or anything of that sort. It comes exclusively from the radical left in all its forms.
If you analyze the data from the recent anti-Argentine campaign, the origin of the majority of the attacks came from Brazil. Not Brazilians, but socialist-progressive scum! They are the ones who need our silence and obedience to continue to push their anti-European agendas. But our national anthem demands something else from us. It makes us vow to die with glory rather than live on our knees. And that spirit permeates the work we have been carrying out since the Argentine national government, and which, I hope, Brazilians will be able to carry out in the coming years. That is why I want to tell you: when baseless criticisms fall on you, accusing you of the worst crimes and the most despicable acts, do not fear, do not bow your head. As von Mises rightly said: “do not yield to the enemy, but fight back with even greater courage.”
When they attack you, do not be ashamed of who you are; it is the perfect proof that what you are doing works and that you are on the right path. As the saying goes: “if they bark, Sancho, it means we are riding.” That is why I want to tell you that the decision in front of you is clear and that, even if the road ahead is difficult and enemies to the right and, above all, to the left seek to destroy you, freedom comes first.
Finally, on October 4, go to the polls for the future, for Brazil. Go with faith, because even if they have the full machinery of the state, all the support of foreign media and the elites, they will never have the real power, for victory in the battle does not depend on the number of soldiers, but on forces from above.
So let us go, Flávio, move forward, restore Brazil’s greatness, God bless you all, may the forces of heaven be with us and long live freedom, damn it!