Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro outlined his future choices yesterday, emphasizing that he owes nothing to anyone. During a visit to the city of Goiânia on Saturday while campaigning for a new presidential term in the 2022 elections, Bolsonaro stated that he faces three options for his near future: "be imprisoned, die, or win," according to Agence France-Presse.
Speaking to evangelicals in Goiânia, Bolsonaro said, "I have three options for my future: to be imprisoned, to die, or to win," as reported by local newspapers. The Brazilian president affirmed that "the first option is not an option," adding that he is doing what is necessary and "owes nothing to anyone," as noted by AFP.
In a tense atmosphere with the judiciary, Bolsonaro once again attacked the Federal Supreme Court and the Superior Electoral Court, warning that "no one here on earth will intimidate me." Bolsonaro faced a setback on Wednesday when the President of the Brazilian Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, rejected his request to initiate impeachment proceedings against Alexandre de Moraes, one of the eleven justices of the Federal Supreme Court and a member of the Electoral Court.
The conflict has been ongoing for several months, particularly due to Bolsonaro's questioning of the legitimacy of the Brazilian electronic voting system, in place since 1996. The Supreme Court has opened several investigations against President Bolsonaro. Earlier this month, Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered an investigation into the president on charges of "defamation" and "incitement to crime," according to AFP.
The Electoral Court has also included Bolsonaro in a probe that began in 2019 by the Federal Supreme Court over crimes and threats against several of its judges. Before heading to Goiânia on Friday, the Brazilian president encouraged citizens to acquire weapons, stating, "Everyone should buy a rifle. An armed people will never be enslaved."
Regarding growing concerns about inflation in the country, Bolsonaro said, "I know prices are high. An idiot might say ‘you should buy beans’ instead of a weapon. My friend, if you don’t want to buy a rifle, don’t bother those who want to." On Saturday morning, the president walked in the capital of Goiás without a mask among a crowd of supporters, as shown in photos posted on his social media. He then called on the evangelicals, who contributed significantly to his election, to participate in support marches scheduled for September 7, Independence Day celebrations.
