Tarcísio, Zema, Caiado and Ratinho Jr. are absent from pro-Bolsonaro act and against STF

The main governors listed to run for the Presidency of the Republic in 2026 will not be present in the demonstrations convened by allies of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in several cities of the country, next Sunday (3).

Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), Romeu Zema (Novo), Ronaldo Caiado (União Brasil) and Ratinho Júnior (PSD) decided not to join the acts that aim at the Supreme Court (STF) and seek to press against the measures imposed on the former president.

The removal movement occurs at a time when pockets tests its popular mobilization capacity amid the advancement of the 2022 coup attempt, Bolsonaro’s judicial wear and the US diplomatic crisis, triggered after the 50% tariff imposed by Donald Trump over Brazilian products.

The demonstrations also have as its background the reaction to the decision of Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Supreme Court, which determined the application of electronic anklet and other restrictive measures against the former president, considered at risk of escape.

The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, justified the absence due to a medical procedure that will occur on Sunday. Goian Ronaldo Caiado, who has already placed himself as a pre-candidate for Planalto, told the newspaper The globe that disagrees with the “timing” of the demonstrations.

“This is not the best time for demonstrations. I think this moment is direct action in the interlocution with the US government,” said Caiado. “My concern now is to build dialogue so as not to let my state be penalized.”

Caiado also stated that it was “100% against tariffs”, but avoided direct criticism of the Supreme Court or Minister Alexandre de Moraes, suggesting a strategy of moderation in the face of the crisis.

Paraná Ratinho Júnior, according to his advisory, will be traveling in the interior of the state. Romeu Zema, from Minas Gerais, also does not intend to attend, as determined by the The globe.

Previous acts and new conjuncture

In April this year, the four governors had participated in an act alongside Bolsonaro on Paulista Avenue, in a movement that showed cohesion of the pocket field. The context, however, was another: American tariffs had not yet been imposed and the lawsuit against Bolsonaro had not advanced to the present point, with the concrete perspective of judgment in 2025.

This time, the environment is marked by the STF’s reaction against Eduardo Bolsonaro’s articulations in the US, which, according to court ministers, would have acted to aggravate sanctions against Moraes. The conduct was classified as “Betrayal of the Fatherland” by Alexandre de Moraes and as a “act of fanstime” by Gilmar Mendes.