Flávio's campaign sees a misstep in remark about changing the Constitution, CNN Brasil says
According to the network, allies and legal experts reacted poorly, and the rival campaign is expected to exploit the statement in the runoff; the candidate later said he was talking about constitutional amendments.
Translated from the Portuguese original by the Panorama newsroom. Read in Portuguese
Summary written by the Panorama newsroom from the sources listed below. Facts are attributed to the original publications.
According to CNN Brasil, Flávio Bolsonaro's (PL) team believes the candidate made a misstep when talking about changing the Constitution during the 2026 runoff campaign. The statement, considered vague and unrehearsed, reportedly drew negative reactions from allies and legal experts. Opponents interpreted it as an intention to replace the 1988 Constitution, which prompted immediate criticism.
In the report, the candidate reportedly clarified the next day that he was referring to Proposals for Amendment to the Constitution (PECs), a tool that changes parts of the text and requires three-fifths of the votes in two rounds in both the Chamber and the Senate. Journalist Pedro Venceslau reported that campaign members describe Flávio as disciplined and used to rehearsing his remarks; this time, he said, it was "improvised." A close ally called the episode a "sudden move" to be avoided because it conveys arrogance and touches on a sensitive subject after January 8.
Legal experts also criticized it. According to CNN, former Justice Minister Miguel Reale Júnior said it is "reckless" to promise to change the Constitution and asked whether it would be "for the Bukele model." Former minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira called the remark "empty," because it does not explain the intended change.
Campaign sources heard by the network believe that radical agendas tied to January 8 please the Bolsonarista electorate but are strongly rejected by voters who back Flávio out of opposition to his rival. The PL campaign had been investing in the image of a "moderate Flávio," different from his father, Jair Bolsonaro, and the episode would make that harder.
CNN also reports that, according to an analysis by Larissa Rodrigues cited by the network, the PT campaign is expected to use the remark on social media and in radio and TV ads, along the lines of "planting a little seed of fear" about the risks of a Flávio government. The report does not include an official position from the PT campaign.