Allies portray Bolsonaro as a victim and speak of 'depression' due to house arrest.

247 - The decision by Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), which imposed house arrest on Jair Bolsonaro (PL), has been used by his allies as a basis for a new attempt at political victimization of the former president. Since the use of an electronic ankle monitor was ordered on July 18, Bolsonaro supporters have been reporting alleged emotional instability on Bolsonaro's part, now exacerbated by the tightening of restrictions. The tone of these reports aims to sway public opinion and politically shield the far-right leader.

According to Bela Megale, from The GlobeSources close to the former president say he is "oscillating between good and bad moments" and that house arrest has left him more vulnerable, especially at night when he cannot leave his residence. An aide who lives with Bolsonaro stated: "He already referred to the measures that prohibited him from leaving Brasília and from leaving home after 19 pm and on weekends as imprisonment." Now, with the new Supreme Court decision, Bolsonaro is prevented from leaving home at any time of day, which, according to his allies, would further aggravate his emotional state.

The strategy of portraying Bolsonaro as someone fragile, vulnerable, and emotionally affected seems to follow the same script adopted after his defeat in the 2022 elections, when versions also circulated about the former president's alleged depressive state. At the time, the discourse of silence, mourning, and isolation served as a shield to avoid direct confrontations with the Justice system and with the political defeat suffered at the polls.

Now, facing house arrest, allies are reinforcing the image of someone "discouraged" and unable to be alone. More than one party member stated that the most difficult times are after 19 pm — a version that reinforces the dramatic tone attributed to Moraes' new decision.

The insistence on this type of narrative construction, centered on Bolsonaro's emotional fragility, has been a constant in Bolsonaro's circles when confronted with judicial decisions. Instead of addressing the merits of the investigations—which involve an attempted coup d'état—his allies opt for strategies of sensationalism, attempting to divert attention from the seriousness of the crimes being investigated.