Right‑wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro garners overseas backing yet lags in polls ahead of a showdown with President Lula.
Published On 26 Jul 2026
Flavio Bolsonaro kicked off his official Brazilian presidential campaign on Saturday, highlighting endorsements from Argentine President Javier Milei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, long viewed as the standard‑bearer of Brazil’s right, launched his formal challenge to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“This is more than a party gathering,” Bolsonaro told members of his father’s Liberal Party. “It marks the start of the toughest battle of our lives—a clash between good and evil.”
Recent surveys show Bolsonaro trailing Lula, as his campaign struggles to recover from a series of setbacks and scandals.
Although the event featured praise from Milei and Netanyahu, attendance by notable Brazilian politicians was sparse.
Centre‑right parties have largely kept their distance, and Flavio’s father—currently serving a 27‑year sentence for a coup attempt after his 2022 defeat to Lula—appeared only via an AI‑generated video.
Milei delivered a fiery speech condemning Lula and asserting that Bolsonaro could “save” Brazil from socialism.
The Argentine president arrived in Brazil the night before the rally and met Saturday with São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas.
“We will continue to speak out everywhere against the falsehoods of socialism,” Milei added.
Netanyahu conveyed his support through a brief video message.
“Flavio, my friend, I congratulate you on the official launch of your campaign,” Netanyahu said in the recording, as reported by the Brazilian outlet Metropoles. “You are a great champion of Brazil and of the friendship between our nations.”
Lula’s Workers’ Party will convene on August 2 to formalize the 80‑year‑old president’s re‑election bid.
Bolsonaro and his allies have also faced criticism for attempting to leverage connections with the Trump administration to boost his campaign, a move many Brazilians view as unwarranted foreign interference.
Like his father, Flavio has repeatedly questioned the integrity of Brazil’s electoral system, a claim critics say lays the groundwork for challenging the legitimacy of any future loss to Lula.
The AFP reported on Saturday that Brazil refused entry to two Trump administration officials who wanted to discuss “freedom of expression relating to the elections” with national election authorities.
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- NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Sunday, July 26</TITLE]Today’s ConnectionsCredit: NYT / Erik KainWelcome back! If you need assistance with today’s NYT Connections puzzle, I am providing hints and solutions for the Yellow, Blue, Green, and Purple categories.I hope you are enjoying a relaxing Sunday. Whether you are heading to the beach or relaxing at home, let’s dive into today’s Connections puzzle.Let’s get started!How To Play ConnectionsConnections is a popular daily brain teaser from NYT Games. The objective is to sort 16 words into four distinct groups of four based on common links. These links can be specific categories or word associations.There is only one correct solution, and you have a limited number of attempts to find the matches. The groups are color-coded by difficulty, typically progressing from Yellow (easiest) to Purple (hardest). Success is indicated by a lit row, while a mistake alerts you that you are one word away. If you’re stuck, you can always refer to a guide or start fresh.NYT Connections Hints and Answers – Sunday, July 26Below are hints for each group, followed by the official solutions.Today’s word list includes:crawlinggas stationdiscmanblackberryscotch mistplasma tvfirst wordspastry crustapril showersliquid sunshinedvd playerrolling overrowing boatwet weathercarapacesolid foodHints for Each Group Yellow group – Think about early developmental stages. Green group – Relate these to obsolete electronics. Blue group – These are all terms for precipitation. Purple group – Consider various meanings of the word “shell.”One-Word Clues Yellow – milestones Green – outdated Blue – rain Purple – shellsThe Solution: Connections Groups Yellow group – baby milestones Green group – obsolete consumer tech Blue group – rain euphemisms Purple group – things associated with “shell”The Full AnswersHere are the complete solutions for today’s puzzle: Yellow group – crawling, first words, rolling over, solid food Green group – blackberry, discman, dvd player, plasma tv Blue group – april showers, liquid sunshine, scotch mist, wet weather Purple group – carapace, gas station, pastry crust, rowing boatHere is the completed puzzle layout:Today’s NYT ConnectionsScreenshot: Erik KainToday’s Connections is relatively straightforward, rated 1/5 on the difficulty scale. It primarily uses two-word combinations as red herrings to distract players. While some terms like “liquid sunshine” might be unfamiliar to some, most of the categories are quite intuitive. The Purple group offers the most clever connection via the “shell” theme.