Brazil’s PSL Suspends Eduardo Bolsonaro for One Year; 17 Other Deputies Punished

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The PSL confirmed on Tuesday, December 3rd, the punishment of deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro and 17 other deputies who attempted to remove the party’s president, Luciano Bivar from the command of the legend.

The president’s son was handed the harshest punishment and will be one year away from party activities.

Eduardo Bolsonaro is on an official Chamber mission to the Middle East and has not yet been officially notified by the party. In practice, the president’s son will lose the PSL leadership in the Chamber and all the seats he holds in the Chamber’s special committees, such as the CPMI of Fake News, where he has been a sort of defense attorney for President Jair Bolsonaro.

The legislator will only retain command of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Defense (CREDEN) until the end of the year because he was elected president and, under Congressional regulations, he is immune to any changes introduced by the party.

In 2020, he is prevented from disputing seats in the Chamber’s special collegiate bodies.

In addition to Eduardo, 17 other deputies who signed the manifesto against Bivar have been punished. The sentences range from warning to suspension of party activities for 12 months and were recommended by the party’s National Executive last week. On Tuesday, the directorate ratified the punishments.

Eduardo and his allies’ suspension is a defeat for the wing linked to President Jair Bolsonaro, who was looking to be expelled in order to leave the party without losing his mandate.

In an interview with Radio Eldorado last Tuesday, Bolsonaro’s family attorney and treasurer of the Alliance for Brazil, Karina Kufa, said it would be “a favor” to remove them from the party.

According to Karina, the PSL has tactically initiated several expulsion proceedings against Bolsonaro’s allied legislators to instigate “fear and terror”.

“They are doing this in order to come with penalties that only aim to set up a vexing process, not a democratic process. If you are not pleased with the legislator, expel him or her and let them live their lives in another party,” the attorney said in the interview.

Those punished have already announced their intention to migrate their mandates to the Alliance for Brazil, a party founded by the president last month. The new acronym has not yet been ratified by the Supreme Electoral Court.

The disbanding of Bolsonaro’s political group from the PSL comes after disagreements with the party’s the president, deputy Luciano Bivar. PSL ceased to be a minnow after electing 52 deputies last year, and it is expected to receive close to R$1 billion (US$250 million) in public funds by 2022.

The president’s group’s intention was to remove Bivar to be able to deal the cards in the distribution of the money. But the ploy was unsuccessful and forced Bolsonaro to leave the party.

The penalties provided for each deputy:

Bibo Nunes (PSL-RS): 12 months

Alê Silva (PSL-MG): 12 months

Bia Kicis (PSL-DF): 6 months

Carla Zambelli (PSL-SP) : 6 months

Carlos Jordy (PSL-RJ): 7 months

Daniel Silveira (PSL-RJ): 12 months

Eduardo Bolsonaro (PSL-SP): 12 months

General Girão (PSL-RN): 3 months

Filipe Barros (PSL-PR): 6 months

Junio Amaral (PSL-MG): 3 months

Luiz Philippe de Órleans e Bragança (PSL-SP): 3 months

Márcio Labre (PSL-RJ): 6 months

Sanderson (PSL-RS): 10 months

Vitor Hugo (PSL-GO): 7 months

The National Executive also issued admonitions to four other deputies:

Aline Sleutjes (PSL-PR)

Chris Tonietto (PSL-SC)

Hélio Lopes (PSL-RJ)

Colonel Armando (PSL-SC)