"Tarcísio's idols are Bolsonaro, Ustra, and Pinochet, not JK," says Florestan.
A journalist criticized the governor of São Paulo, pointing out the contradiction between his developmentalist discourse and his alignment with the far right.
247 - The journalist Florestan Fernandes Junior he stated during the program good night 247 this Monday (25), that the governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas[He] is trying to position himself as a presidential candidate in 2026 by using historical references that do not correspond to his political trajectory. The comment was made when analyzing Tarcísio's statement, in which he sought to associate his image with the former president. Juscelino Kubitschek (JK).
According to Florestan, the comparison is not valid: "I don't understand why Tarcísio mentioned JK. As far as I know, the idols of the far right are Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet, and Colonel Ustra. Remember Colonel Ustra, the torturer, who is Bolsonaro's idol? So I think Tarcísio has nothing to do with Juscelino Kubitschek."
Critiques of developmentalist rhetoric
Tarcísio de Freitas has sought to present himself as a politician with a developmentalist profile, reviving the slogan "40 years in 4," alluding to JK's famous "50 years in 5." However, as Florestan pointed out, the governor remains aligned with Bolsonaro's ideology and sectors of the far right, which contradicts the image he is trying to build.
The memory of JK and the dictatorship
Florestan recalled that Juscelino Kubitschek He was persecuted during the military dictatorship, had his political rights revoked, and was even imprisoned in 1968 for participating in the Broad Front, a movement opposed to the regime. "My father lived with him in exile in the United States and told me terrible things. The humiliation he was subjected to during the military dictatorship is unbelievable."
The journalist also highlighted that, unlike JK, Tarcísio belongs to a political camp that has always supported institutional ruptures and that today is anchored in the legacy of former president Jair Bolsonaro. "You belong to that sector of the Armed Forces that left power with the return to democracy, but Bolsonaro is from that group that practiced torture." said Florestan.
The cult of Bolsonaro and historical distortions
Florestan also mocked statements by Bolsonaro's leaders, such as Valdemar Costa Neto, who went so far as to compare Bolsonaro to... Che Guevara. "They don't have an idol to call their own, so they need to look to Che Guevara or JK. But there's no possible parallel."
The comment, made in good night 247This reinforces the criticism that Tarcísio attempts to appropriate democratic and developmental symbols from Brazilian history, while maintaining close ties with authoritarian sectors and figures linked to repression and regression.
