Flavio Bolsonaro drops moderate mask, flees Brazil after coup-like letter

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro fled the country and released a letter with coup-like content, abandoning the moderate image his campaign had built since August. The move followed advice from businessman Paulo Figueiredo and his brother Eduardo to lead opposition from abroad. Flavio's campaign had carefully crafted a "moderate Bolsonaro" persona, with ads featuring his wife saying she "reeducated" him. His flight contradicts the analysis of PL party members and strategists who attribute the election loss to arrogance in the second round. Figueiredo and Eduardo argue the defeat stemmed from insufficient mobilization of hard-right supporters online and blocking their efforts to push US sanctions against Supreme Court ministers. They are now positioning against Governor Tarcisio de Freitas in a dispute over right-wing leadership.