Bolsonaro, at largest U.S. conservative event: “I feel that my mission in Brazil is not over”

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro indicated during his speech Saturday, Mar. 4, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that his mission in the country “is not over.”

“At this moment, I thank God for my second life and the mission of being president of Brazil for a while (…). But deep inside me, I feel that this mission is not over,” he said.

CPAC is the largest conservative event in the United States.

Bolsonaro has received a warm welcome from U.S. conservatives and added that his relationship with President Donald Trump was “simply exceptional.”

(Watch Bolonaro’s speech in full)

In his speech, he said that in Brazil, private property “is threatened” and is one of the pillars of democracy.

“Life from conception was our defense, always against abortion. In four, we decreased by a third the number of deaths by firearms.”

“I stood by my principles, by God, and by the Brazilian people. Coherence marks our lives”.

“When people talk about conservatism, we want basic things: we don’t want gender ideology; we want children to grow up in the likeness of their father and mother.”

He added that he “defended freedom” and, for example, did not force anyone to get vaccinated.

“I never expected to be president of Brazil, but when I saw a communist being re-elected in my country, I decided to face this challenge”.

In addition to Bolsonaro and Trump, the conservative conference will feature

• former US Ambassador to the UN and Republican pre-candidate for president Nikky Haley;
• Senators Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, Mike Braun, and Eric Schmitt; ]
• Ben Carson, former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
• James Comer, Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

WHAT IS CPAC, AND HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT

Created in 1973 by the groups American Conservative Union (ACU) and Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), CPAC brings together, every year, some of the exponents of the American conservative right.

In the United States, the event has hosted former president Donald Trump and British president Nigel Farage, who helped articulate what resulted in the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.

The event has already been held in Brazil in three editions.

The last one, last year, brought together politicians, journalists, influencers, and more than a thousand Bolsonaro supporters in Campinas (SP).

In 2022, the conference was led by Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL).

The third edition was also attended by Jason Miller, former U.S. presidential adviser during Trump’s term; the founder of the Chilean Republican Party, José Antônio Kast; and Argentine congressman Javier Milei.

CPAC seeks to promote articulation among conservatives and strengthen conservatism in the US and worldwide.

In Brazil, events and associations of people who call themselves conservative in customs or liberal in economics are increasingly common.

Between 2019 and July 2022, for example, there were at least 43 conservative congresses in 17 states in Brazil, a survey by Agência Pública reported.

For the full picture, see our Brazil Tax Reform: Complete Guide.